Bird Cat thing
by Jaguarin
Summary: A big Bird-Cat fight - All Complete.
1. An unexpected visit

I'm sure you will enjoy this fic, as my lovely editing team (In alphabetical order): DixieFaithful, Harley Fan, NightStalker, Reese's Girl, and introducing Shan..  
  
And specially to Yank to annoyme all the last week with er "more, more, more" to wrote it in record time...  
  
************************************************************************  
A BIRD-CAT THING  
  
Oracle worked in the computer guiding Huntress and Dinah. A killer had been taking the streets of New Gothman. The bodies appeared drainded, their skin gray, the police couldn't find the cause of death. There weren't connections between each murdered, opposite people, opposite places. She received the images that Dinah sent to the computer. The girls were in the park, taking pictures and scanning a new body.  
  
"I got it" said Oracle opening the pictures, she observed it "Uh. the same. it's a serial killer."  
  
::I thought the same:: Huntress said in the mic.  
  
"Ok, leave there, the police are near." Barbara searched for some info in the data, she was confused about the dead people. She couldn't find anything that gave her some track.  
  
"Any luck miss Barbara?" asked Alfred giving her a cup of coffe.  
  
"No, it's been a very disappointing night." She scratched her head.  
  
"Want some dinner now or do you want to wait for the girls?"  
  
"I'll wait for the girls, they're returning here now. what did you cook?"  
  
"Mmmm, an international food. 'quesadillas'"  
  
"What is that?" Oracle looked at him surprised.  
  
"Tortillas folded with cheese inside fried." Alfred said proud.  
  
"Uh? Let me guess. you bought a new book."  
  
"Yes, I bought a book of Mexican food. I found many interesting things, like how to prepare iguana meat, fried crickets, a stew of armadillo."  
  
"Stop, stop. Stop.  
  
" Barbara raised her hands. "Remember the cooking rules. first one is.?"  
  
".Never let miss Helena cook.."  
  
"Second one?"  
  
".Nothing about experiments with meals." Alfred raised his brows.  
  
"You got it" Barbara pointed at him smiling. "The 'quesadillas' sounds good but forget the other things, ok? Anyway where are you going to get an 'Armadillo' or an 'iguana'?"  
  
"Good point miss Barbara, good point."  
  
* * *  
  
The next evening, Barbara fixed her transponder, Dinah was at school, Alfred shopping and Helena maybe was sleeping at her apartment. The transponder was too damaged, she cleaned her forehead with the back of her hand and took a screw driver. The Delphi alert turned on, Barbara put her glasses over the table and wheeled toward the monitor. Someone had broken the security system in the lower level. She watched the monitors, a shadow walked in one of the corridors.  
  
Barbara turned on the mic "Huntress, do you copy?" she said typing in the keyboard to close some doors while she wait Huntress' answer.  
  
::I'm here, what happened?::  
  
"Some one broke the security system of the Clock Tower, come here inmediately."  
  
::On my way:: Barbara noticed that the elevator ascended, she prepared her escrima sticks. "whoever it is, is using the elevator." she said to Huntress. "I'm coming."  
  
::Hold on, I'm on my way!:: Huntress said in a hurry.  
  
Barbara wheeled to the elevator, and hid on one side. When the door opened, she hit the first foot that cross the line making the person fall. Faster she put the another stick over the neck of the intruder. She shocked when she saw the intruder's face.  
  
* * *  
  
Helena was giving beats with her palm to the door of the elevator while it took her to the lab. "Come on, hurry" she said to her self. The elevator door opened and she jumped out looking for her mentor.  
  
"Barbara?" she shouted "Where are you?"  
  
"It's okey, I'm here" she listened her voice came from the kitchen, Helena ran upstairs, when she entered the kitchen she froze. Carolyn, Black Canary, who was supposed to have died in a explosion, was sit at the table drinking coffe with Barbara.  
  
"What.?" she blinked surprised.  
  
"Hi Helena." Carolyn said.  
  
"But."  
  
"Carolyn came here to talk with Dinah and with us." Barbara sip a bit of coffe "Sit down..."  
  
"To talk with Dinah and you, with me I don't think so." Helena became angry "Why did you deceive us?"  
  
"I had my reasons." Carolyn put her cup on the table.  
  
"I imagine they must be very good, enough to break your daughters' heart again."  
  
Carolyn knew that the problems came, she bit her lip before she said: "That isn't your problem."  
  
Barbara interrupted trying to avoid a discussion "She is here explaining what happened."  
  
"I'm interested." Helena crossed her arms and leaned against the fridge. She didn't understand why that woman could call her self a 'mother', she couldn't understand how a mother would lie to her own daughter fakeing her death, knowing how much Dinah had suffered.  
  
Carolyn sighed deeply, for her it would be better if Helena disappeared but it wasn't possible. That girl didn't like her. She didn't understand why Barbara could took care of Selina's daughter, she seems to be a very problematic and violent girl.  
  
"Dinah was very happy living with you" Carolyn said "I could see it, "she told me so. She loves the idea of be a great super hero some day, nd she really amazed me, her potential was so big. Barbara you are training her as best as I could ."  
  
"Carolyn." Barbara said.  
  
"Is the true, you are an excellent mentor. She run away from me because I hurt her so much leaving her alone when she was a child, maybe it was a mistake, but in that moment I thought it was the best for her, to keep her alive. With the explosion I found a good excuse to disappeared again, to let her live her life, I didn't have the right to interfere with her and her choices."  
  
"As you didn't have the right to break her heart faking your death." Helena added annoyed.  
  
"I understand that" Carolyn glared at Huntress "I came here to try to fix the things. I miss her."  
  
"Wouldn't it be better to just say 'I'll leave you here Dinah' instead your 'dead'?" Huntress asked.  
  
"I'm not going to discuss that"  
  
"No? yea," Helena rised her shoulders "I imagine that you don't care neither about the nights that she was crying alone in her room because of your 'death'."  
  
"I'm not going to discuss that point, I said." Carolyn became angry.  
  
"Yes, you are right now," Helena nodded "who would care if it took her heart many months to recover of your 'death'? And who cares what she could feel now, when she discovers that it all was a lie."  
  
"Kid." Carolyn put the cup of coffe on the table.  
  
"Don't call me kid."  
  
"First, I'm her mother, not you."  
  
"Doesnt looks like it." interrupted Helena.  
  
"Helena!" Barbara locked her eyes in her.  
  
"Second," Carolyn continued " the relationship between me and Dinah isn't your problem. I'm not going to waste my time with you talking about that. You aren't an example of a family, know?"  
  
Helena took a step and Barbara stretched her arm out putting her hand over her stomach to avoid that she continued walking. "Carolyn, please." she said to the blond woman.  
  
"Ok, third, I just came here to tell you two that I'm going to try to make her understand. Ok. kid?"  
  
"Helena" Barbara saw Helena eyes,they were two lines "I don't want a fight here, ok? We are talking about Dinah"  
  
"I couldn't understand how a mother could do this to her own daughter." Helena pressed her teeth.  
  
"Better not try to touch the point of what a mothers would do or not, because if we start to talk about your mother you will not like it." Carolyn drink a little more coffe.  
  
Barbara held Helena's arm hardly able to avoid a fight.  
  
"Ouch!" Helena grimaced.  
  
"What are you going to do?" Barbara asked with out letting Helena go.  
  
"This is going to be very difficult for Dinah. When are you going to talk with her?"  
  
"I'm thinking about that." Carolyn said.  
  
"..Do you mind? Helena asked in low voice to Barbara pointing her arm. Barbara release her with a hard glare, Helena rubbed her arm.  
  
"I need to find the correct moment" Carolyn continued "This is going to be so difficult for her and for me."  
  
"I really think that maybe she wouldn't understand you." Barbara sighed "She is a very mature girl, intelligent, fragil. has a big heart, but is too innocent yet. Excuse me if I tell it to you but you are giving her very strong blows."  
  
"I know, I don't want to hurt her anymore, I want this to end it was all a mistake. I want to give her the love of a mother that she had never felt. I need to try it, I couldn't quit before I tried."  
  
"You are right."  
  
"I will ask you two things." Carolyn looked at both women."Don't tell her that I'm here, let me face this on my own."  
  
"Okey.." Barbara said. Helena wasn't too convinced.  
  
"I need for you gave me your word." Carolyn asked.  
  
"Don't count me in on this lie." Helena said moving her hands.  
  
"I'm going to tell you in another way Helena," Carolyn turned her chair to the brunette and said firmly "Don't interfere with me and Dinah, get it?."  
  
"Ok, instead," Helena puckered the frown "maybe we can ask you don't interfere with our relationship with Dinah trying to involve us in your stupid games and lies."  
  
"Helena," Barbara said in cold voice "Carolyn is Dinah's mother, it is her choice and like it or not, we must respect it."  
  
"I'm don't want to be part of this." Helena walked out of the kitchen.  
  
"Helena." Carolyn said standing up "I'm just asking you for time to talk with Dinah, I more than anyone want her happiness. But as you said, I could hurt her more If I don't do it in a correct way. Do you want that I hurt her?"  
  
"You almost did it no?"  
  
"Do you want to hurt her more?"  
  
"No."  
  
"So. just give me a little time to do it in a correct way. okay?"  
  
Helena took a deep breath and moved her head.  
  
"We can do it Helena" Barbara wheeled toward her "Give her time." Helena wasn't convinced but maybe it will be the best to the blond girl.  
  
"Ok." she finally said.  
  
"I want your word both of you" Carolyn asked  
  
"Yes, count on me." Barbara looked Helena.  
  
The brunnette hesitated a moment ".Ok." the girl finally said in bad mood. 


	2. Keeping secrets

I'm sure you will enjoy this fic, as my lovely editing team (In alphabetical order): DixieFaithful, Harley Fan, NightStalker, Reese's Girl, and introducing Shan...  
  
And specially to Yank to annoy me all the last week with er "more, more, more" to wrote it in record time...  
  
Ok I fixed it with the help of Dixie. sorry my fics are PG, I try to do it thinking about the TV show. My english isn't good, so I always need someone that help me editing it. And write on "R" wuu, would be really difficult for me because of grammar thing.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * *  
  
When Dinah arrived home from school, Barbara wasn't at the Delphi. She scanned the room for any sign of her friends. She saw Helena sitting on the upper floor, distracted ly watching the TV with her feet on the table. She ran upstairs. She threw her bag on the table and sat next to her.  
  
"What are you watching?" she asked, smiling.  
  
Helena didn't want to see Dinah. She felt uncomfortable. She gave her the control and stood up.  
  
"Nice as usual." the blond girl said.  
  
"I'm not in a good mood, Dinah." Helena took her coat and put it on.  
  
"What happened?" Dinah asked.  
  
"Nothing. I'm just not in a good mood." The brunnette walked to the elevator.  
  
"Problems with Barbara?"  
  
Helena didn't answer. She walked into the elevator and left the Clock Tower. Dinah felt frustrated. She always tried to be friendly with Helena, but the brunette always avoided her. She still saw her just like a kid, not like a friend. She turned off the TV and went to her room.  
  
Helena walked down the street. It was still early. The blonde wasn't guilty of her mother faults. Knowing that her mother pretended be dead would hurt her so much, but at least she was alive. Carolyn didn't like her. She was so arrogant. She would take Dinah with her and leave the city, and in someway it upset her.  
  
The girl was a little annoying sometimes. Well, not much. The problem was that she had been accustomed to being alone and having a partner suddenly was a big difference. Sometimes she was so rude to the blonde. That wasn't right but... but, well, she really didn't have an excuse for that. Dinah was the opposite of her, friendly, sweet, patient. She liked the 'techno Babs' things and tried to learn it. She sighed deeply. If Dinah left, she hated to admit it, but she would miss her so much. And it annoyed her.  
  
* * *  
  
Dinah finished her homework and went out of her room. Barbara was sitting at the Delphi. She walked downstairs and sat next to her.  
  
"I didn't hear you when you came in, and you didn't say 'Hi'." she said.  
  
"Sorry, I have been busy trying to find a connection with the murders. How was your day at school?"  
  
"Ok. May I ask you something?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"Did you talk to Helena?"  
  
"No. Why?"  
  
"She looked mad, and was angry. I tried just to talk with her but she left," Dinah explained. "I thought that you two had a problem."  
  
"No, really. Maybe she is mad because Leonard scolded her yesterday night. She was late to work. And you know, Leonard is tough." Barbara responded and smiled. "Don't worry, you know Helena."  
  
"Yes, I know her, she always looks at me like I'm just a kid."  
  
"Dinah.." Barbara turned to her. "Try to understand her.."  
  
"Yes, I always need try to understand her but she never tries to understand me." Dinah stood up and walked again to her room. Barbara didn't know what to say. She took a deep breath and returned to wok on the computer.  
  
* * *  
  
A week later, at night, Barbara was on the Delphi's monitor, Helena and Dinah behind her. She was showing the last pictures of the recent murders. Dinah noticed Helena was not paying attention. When Barbara finished explainin to them her point of view, Helena still had a lost look, thinking about where Black Canary was and why she wouldn't talk with Dinah.  
  
"Understand Helena?" Barbara asked.  
  
".Uh? What?" the girl mumbled.  
  
"Did you understand?"  
  
"Sorry, I was thinking about something else. what?"  
  
"Helena, wake up!" Barbara shook her head. "Go patrol with Dinah. She will explain it to you on the way."  
  
Huntress looked outside, the rain fell like a deluge in New Gotham. "But." she said.  
  
Barbara worked on the computer without looking at her.  
  
"Is she talking seriously?" Helena asked Dinah in low voice.  
  
"Yep." Dinah nodded.  
  
Helena grumbled and walked to the window to see better the rain. Dinah smiled at Barbara.  
  
"She really thinks that we are going to patrol tonight . what happened if she really goes outside?"  
  
"Let her get wet. She needs to pay attention when we are working." Barbara continued typing in the keyboard.  
  
"My boots will be ruined!" Helena exclaimed.  
  
"I told you many times not to bring expensive clothes to work." Barbara said printing a picture.  
  
Helena walked towards Dinah. "The sky is falling outside. Where are we going to go?"  
  
"To patrol, as usual," Dinah smirked.  
  
"It's not true," Barbara smiled." I was saying that I need samples of blood and skin the next time you find a body. I need you two to bring it to me. All this is very strange." Barbara wheeled her chair to her. "But you weren't listening to me."  
  
"Oh."  
  
The Delphi alert turned on. The women turned their faces to the screen.  
  
"Murder. New Gotham Park. Oh, God. two people." Barbara said.  
  
Dinah touched Helena's shoulder. "Now isn't a joke, we need go."  
  
"Yea, I know." * * *  
  
From an upper building both girls looked down. The police were checking the bodies. Huntress and Dinah felt the drops pouing over their faces. The brunnette held up the camera to show Oracle the scene of the murder.  
  
::A zoom. to their faces please..:: Oracle asked.  
  
"How are we going to get the samples of blood and skin?" Dinah wiped her face.  
  
"We need ask for it from Reese. get it Oracle?"  
  
::Yes, it's okay. Now ask for the samples.::  
  
"Ok, let's go Dinah."  
  
Reese walked to his car. He wasn't surprised when he saw Huntress and Dinah waiting for him there. He smiled.  
  
"Nice night, isn't it?" he said opening his arms and looking at the sky.  
  
"Yeah. really nice." Dinah looked up too.  
  
Reese hugged Huntress strongly.  
  
"Hey!" she exclaimed. "I'm wet!"  
  
"Just tell me what thing is dry.." He kissed her on the mouth.  
  
"Points to him." Dinah smiled.  
  
"Huntress, I'll be out of town for a few days. I leave tomorrow."  
  
"Your job?"  
  
"Right. I'll back next week."  
  
"Ok, call me when you get back. Reese, who was it tonight?"  
  
"Two burglars, I have been looking for them. It's the same, drained, skin gray."  
  
"We need samples of the men's skin and blood. Could you get it to us?" Huntress raised a plastic bag.  
  
"Yes, give me a moment." Reese took the bag and walked to the murder scene.  
  
"Huntress, do you think it will be a meta?" Dinah asked. "Well. I imagined that, but. why is he doing it? It doesn't make sense."  
  
"He eats people?..."  
  
Huntress turned her face to her. "What?"  
  
"He or she is eating people. Right?"  
  
::Sounds logical.:: Barbara said. ::I will search in the files. Wait for the samples and come back.::  
  
"Why don't send us a boat? We will get there faster." Huntress frowned.  
  
"I agree." said Dinah cleaning her face.  
  
::Sorry. need a lifesaver?::  
  
"Very funny."  
  
* * *  
  
Many days later, Helena was pacing around the Clock Tower as Barbara worked at the computers. "Why didn't she just come here?" she asked. "Why didn't she tell Dinah that she was still alive?"  
  
"She's waiting for the best moment."  
  
".To hurt her."  
  
"Helena." Barbara sighed deeply as she typed on the keyboard  
  
"What do you expect she's going to do?" Helena asked continuing to pace.  
  
"This concerns Carolyn and Dinah, we shouldn't interfere."  
  
"Why not? Dinah is with us, she lives with us."  
  
Barbara turned her head and smiled. "With US?"  
  
Helena stopped and said hesitantly as she moved her hands nervously, "Well. no, yes. well she is here right? Maybe I don't sleep here, but. I'm here and. I'm here for dinner, and. and we patrol together."  
  
"Ah, I see, very clear."  
  
"You need to talk with her."  
  
"Talk with who?"  
  
"With Canary, she needs to talk with Dinah. We can't hide this from her anymore!"  
  
"Helena, this is really complicated. Dinah would be shattered. I don't want her to suffer more. This is going to be hard for her. It's better that she face her mother and talk with her, and Canary is looking for the best moment to avoid hurting her any more. This isn't going to be easy for her."  
  
"But we are in the middle!!" Helena continued to pace.  
  
"We gave her our word, so she will appear soon, stay calm." Barbara pointed out to her.  
  
"I can't even look at Dinah! Every time I do, I feel guilty."  
  
"This isn't easy for me either, but Carolyn created this lie and is her responsibility to fix it. We'll only make things worse if we interfere. If we talk, Dinah is going to ask many questions, questions that you and I couldn't answer because we aren't in Carolyn's mind."  
  
"I hate this. I never trusted her. Every time she appears, we have problems."  
  
Barbara turned again to her desk and continued typing.  
  
"How could you two be friends? You are so different." Helena asked.  
  
"She is a good person," Barbara responded distractedly.  
  
"Are you joking?"  
  
"No, I'm not."  
  
"But she loves lying and giving us problems."  
  
"We don't have problems.." Barbara began to get impatient.  
  
"No? Are you sure?? What is going to happen when she finds out the truth?"  
  
"We are going to be there to support her."  
  
"I'm not talking about that!" Helena exclaimed. "And you know it!"  
  
"Helena, please, calm down! We have to wait. We can't interfere in Dinah's life."  
  
"What are you going to wait about? Why can't you interfere in my life?" Dinah stepped out of the elevator. 


	3. Disappointment

I'm sure you will enjoy this fic, as my lovely editing team (In alphabetical order): DixieFaithful, Harley Fan, NightStalker, Reese's Girl, and introducing Shan...  
  
And specially to Yank to annoy me all the last week with er "more, more, more" to wrote it in record time...  
  
Ok I fixed it with the help of Dixie. sorry my fics are PG, I try to do it thinking about the TV show. My english isn't good, so I always need someone that help me editing it. And write on "R" wuu, would be really difficult for me because of the grammar thing.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
"We don't have problems.." Barbara began to get impatient.  
  
"No? Are you sure?? What is going to happen when she finds out the truth?"  
  
"We are going to be there to support her."  
  
"I'm not talking about that!" Helena exclaimed. "And you know it!"  
  
"Helena, please, calm down! We have to wait. We can't interfere in Dinah's life."  
  
"What are you going to wait about? Why can't you interfere in my life?" Dinah stepped out of the elevator.  
  
Helena was paralyzed. She didn't know what to say. Barbara was surprised too.  
  
"Aren't you supposed to be at school?" The redhead asked.  
  
"Professor Harrison is sick." Dinah explained walking on the platform "So. why are you going to wait?"  
  
Helena couldn't answer. She looked at Barbara. Dinah saw the confusion on Helena's face.  
  
"We are talking about your decisions; we couldn't interfere with it." Barbara explained trying to seem distracted.  
  
"What decisions?"  
  
"Your decisions, all your decisions in your life."  
  
"And why are you so interested in it?" Dinah looked at Helena.  
  
"I'm not interested in your decisions!" the brunette answered.  
  
"But you said that."  
  
"I have too many problems now to worry about your life." Helena crossed her arms.  
  
"Why are you always so angry with me?" Dinah asked.  
  
"I'm not angry!"  
  
"I always try to be your friend and you're always so rude to me."  
  
"Kid, this isn't a social club. This is work, okay?" Helena said ironically. "I better go. See you later Barbara." She walked to the elevator.  
  
"What's wrong with you?" Dinah shouted raising her arms. "What I did to you?"  
  
The brunette didn't answer and left the Clock Tower. Dinah sighed, she hated Helena's arrogant attitude. When she was in that mood, she really wanted to hit her.  
  
* * *  
  
Helena put her hands on the elevator wall while it descended and began to hit her head against it slowly.  
  
"Almost, almost. she almost caught us." she said to herself. "Damn, Carolyn!!" She punched the wall with her hand angrily. "Why don't you just appear??"  
  
* * *  
  
Dinah felt sad. Maybe Helena wanted to work alone again because she wasn't a great partner. It was hard for her to follow Helena on the rooftops and she usually looked like an independent hero, not needing anyone's help. Dinah looked at Barbara, who was still typing on the computer, looking as if she hadn't noticed the girls' discussion.  
  
"What happened?" she asked Barbara.  
  
"What happened? What happened with what?"  
  
"Helena! The last weeks she is so distant from me!"  
  
"Don't worry. You know Hel. She's so cold sometimes, and not very friendly."  
  
"Something's wrong with her. Why were you talking about my life? Why is she so mad about it?"  
  
"Dinah," Barbara took off her glasses, "nothing happened, really."  
  
"She doesn't want to work with me. does she?"  
  
The question surprised Barbara. "Of course she does, Dinah! I think that you are taking her bad mood to heart too much. Don't worry. Would you mind? I need finish with this test of the blood and skin samples from the woman that was murdered last night in the dockyards."  
  
Dinah frowned. She stood up for a second before walked to the elevator.  
  
"I'll be back. I need to go see Gabby."  
  
Don't be back too late." Barbara said. When she heard the elevator door close, she sighed with relief, took her glasses off and wiped her forehead. She really needed to talk to Canary. Every day it was more difficult to keep the secret. Helena was right.  
  
* * * *  
  
Huntress was crouching on the edge of a high building. She looked down, looking down at the street. The cold air caressed her hair. Night had fallen a few minutes ago. Two men walked down the street. Suddenly one of them took a rock out of his pocket and broke the glass window of a jewelry store. "Good." Huntress smiled and thought to herself. "I needed that. to kick some asses." She jumped down, surprising both men.  
  
"Hellloooo," she said. "The party is over."  
  
One of the men tried to punch her but she avoided his fist and him in the jaw. She put both hands on his shoulders and jumped to kick his partner with both feet. The man fell unconscious. She slammed the other man hard against the ground.  
  
"Too easy." she mumbled, wiping her hands. "I need more action."  
  
She looked around and jumped back to the high building. She ran toward the rooftops and stopped on one near the dockyards, where the last murdered had been committed. She crouched again in a cornice staring down for several minutes. She felt a presence behind her. She took a deep breath and asked without moving, "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I was looking for you." Dinah said walking toward her. "It's a little difficult to follow you when you are just jumping here and there."  
  
"Why are you following me?"  
  
"To talk with you."  
  
"I don't want to talk."  
  
"What is wrong?"  
  
"Dinah, I don't want to talk. I'm not in a good mood," Helena said, looking down at the street.  
  
"You never are in good mood with me." Dinah stood up behind her. "You don't like me right?"  
  
"What?" Helena turned to look at her.  
  
"I know you don't like me. I bother you. Do you want me to leave the Clock Tower?" Dinah crossed her arms. "Tell me, be honest."  
  
"Dinah, no!" Helena changed her tone and jumped to the ground. She faced the girl touching her shoulder. "No, don't think that. You are a great partner, really, a very nice person."  
  
"So? What is wrong with me?"  
  
"Nothing, it's not you."  
  
"Are you in trouble? What's wrong? You are so distant. You don't want to talk!" Dinah felt as if Helena was hiding something from her.  
  
"No, I don't have a problem." Helena felt uncomfortable.  
  
"Do you think that I'm your friend?"  
  
"Of course, you are my friend."  
  
Dinah raised her hand and turned off her mic. Immediately she turned off Huntress' mic too. Huntress looked at her surprised.  
  
"Ok, now this is just between you and me. Nobody else is listening. Tell me what's wrong." Dinah said in sweet voice.  
  
"Dinah." Huntress felt very guilty at that moment.  
  
"Friends never hide anything. Friends talk. Talk to me." Dinah took her wrist. Huntress watched her, frighten, and pulled her arm, trying to avoid Dinah entering her mind by accident.  
  
She faced her "I knew it, something is wrong, why won't you let me touch you?"  
  
"Leave me alone." Huntress grunted and give her back.  
  
"Tell me. please. What is bothering you? Something is. I know it, we are friends. let me know, let me see if I can help you." Dinah walked to face her. "I'm just a teen, I know, but maybe just to talk will help you!"  
  
"Is not about me!" Huntress felt trapped. The girl really trusted her, she was betraying that trust, keeping that secret was killing her inside, she moved nervously and walked to the corner of the building to jump to the next rooftop. Dinah ran and blocked her way.  
  
"So? About who is? About Barbara? About me?"  
  
"Dinah." Huntress felt a knot on her throat and avoided look her "Is. Sorry. I, I can't, I need go."  
  
"No, you wouldn't, show me that we really are friends. tell me, let me help you, please."  
  
Huntress was cornered. She put her hands in her pockets and bit her lip.  
  
"Please Huntress, tell me what is going on." Dinah took Helena's arm and looked at her with her deep blue eyes. Helena felt the strength of her gaze, she couldn't run away, her mouth was dry and she hesitated a moment before saying:  
  
"Dinah. Black Canary is alive."  
  
"What?" Dinah felt a chill run down her spine.  
  
"She has been in the Clock tower" Huntress explained "I couldn't believe it. She survived the explosion."  
  
Dinah looked at her not understanding the meaning of the words. "What are you saying?"  
  
"Your mother is alive, Dinah. She was only waiting for the best moment to come in contact with you again. Oracle and I."  
  
"Oracle and you?" Dinah felt that rage invade her. "Oracle and you knew that my mother was alive? For how long?" Huntress didn't know how to respond. "Since when?" Dinah pressed her. "Tell me!"  
  
"Three weeks.." Huntress said in almost a whisper.  
  
"Three weeks? How many times has she been there?" furious Dinah exclaimed.  
  
"Dinah, I'm sorry, I."  
  
"How many times?"  
  
"About four. she has been talking with Ba."  
  
Dinah slapped her forcefully. Huntress pressed her lips together and lowered her face. 


	4. A hart broke

Thanks for your reviews, the true, surprised me read it. When I wrote this I really thought was interesting and could interest another people, but I never expected that many people really like it. So, thanks to all. Jaguarin.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
"Why did you hide it from me? I thought that we were friends!" Dinah slapped her again, the blow was hard enough to make Helena's head turn. Huntress moved her jaw but didn't look at Dinah. She didn't expect that of her, but she understood her anger, she wanted to give her an excuse, but she didn't have anyone, she couldn't.  
  
"Look at me!" Dinah shouted almost drying. "Look at me!"  
  
Huntress raised her head slowly, looking at the girl through her unruly hair. "Dinah." Before she was able to say anything more, a fist smashed into her face. She stepped back and put her hand to her lips. She wiped a slight thread of blood off her broken lip and looked surprised at the blonde, who was in a defensive position.  
  
"Come on." the blond girl said, motioning with her hand for Huntress to attack her.  
  
"Are you crazy?" Huntress frowned. Dinah threw another punch. Huntress stopped it with her hand.  
  
"I won't fight against you!" she told her.  
  
Dinah push her with both hands "Are you afraid of me?"  
  
"Dinah, I understand you." Huntress tried to talk to her.  
  
"You don't have any idea how I feel!" Dinah interrupted her. "Fight!" She threw another punch that Huntress avoided by moving back.  
  
"I will not fight against you!" she exclaimed.  
  
"Yes you will!!" With her mental powers, Dinah made a rusty desk fly at Helena. It shattered against the Huntress' back. A metal piece ripped into her right arm. The back of the desk hit her in the head, making her wobble. "I said fight!" Dinah screamed again.  
  
"No!" Huntress exclaimed clutching her hurt arm. She understood how the girl was feeling, remembering how she had felt when she found that Barbara had hidden that Clay Face was her mother's murderer. But in this case, it was different. With a movement of her hand, Dinah made Helena fly backward, smashing her against the emergency door of the building hard enough to dent it.  
  
"Oww!" she grunted.  
  
"Why won't you fight?" Dinah asked.  
  
Huntress raised her eyes and pushed herself up off the floor. She pressed her lips together feeling powerless. "I would never fight against you. You are my friend. I don't want to injure. "  
  
"You are lying! You have already hurt me!" Dinah screamed moving her left arm again. A wooden box smashed near Huntress who covered her face with her hands.  
  
"I'm sorry." she said, afraid to look the girl's reaction "we didn't have."  
  
"You and Barbara were my family! I trusted you! Why you hide this from me?" The tears began to slip from her eyes. She pulled the necklace off her neck and took off the earrings.  
  
"No.no don't do that" Huntress mumbled getting up, she felt terrible seeing her friend's heart break.  
  
"I want you two out of my life!" Dinah attacked Huntress again, but Helena stopped her fists with her hands.  
  
"I'm sorry Dinah." Huntress exclaimed "I know this is not fair you! We should have told you before. but we knew that it would hurt you and."  
  
"I am not a child!!! When are you going to understand that?" Dinah tried to shake loose from Helena's grip. "You keep playing with my feelings!" Huntress put her arms around the girl, holding her tight.  
  
"I'm sorry Dinah," she said into the girl's ear. "I'm sorry. The last thing that we wanted was to hurt you."  
  
Dinah tried unsuccessfully to break the hug. She felt betrayed, the anger clouding her senses. She grit her teeth and cried with rage. An invisible force took hold of Huntress' neck and pulled her back, making her let go of Dinah. The blond girl fell to her knees sobbing.  
  
"Unnggh!" Huntress put her hands to her throat. She couldn't breathe.  
  
"It's not fair" Dinah mumbled.  
  
Huntress realized that Dinah was unconsciously choking her. She tried to get the blond's attention but the unseen force threw her in her back to the floor, holding her arms down at the same time.  
  
"She is my mother Huntress! Why you hide this from me?" Dinah cried covering her face with her hands.  
  
Huntress was suffocating and she arched her back, fighting to escape. She looked desperate at Dinah, who continued to sob without realizing what was happening. She moved restlessly with her extended arms sticking to the floor like an imam. With her foot, Huntress kicked out striking some pipes in the wall. They fell with a loud crash. The noise made Dinah turn. She observed the desperation in Huntress' face as she tried to breathe with her open mouth.  
  
Dinah's heart began to beat quickly when she realized what was happening. "No!" she exclaimed, raising her hand toward Helena.  
  
The stranger force suddenly disappeared and Huntress was free. She rolled onto her side taking a great puff of air into her lungs and coughing. She had never imagined the tremendous force of Dinah's mind. The blond youth got up, afraid. Huntress noticed the terror in her eyes. Dinah had been about to kill her without being aware of it. The blond ran away.  
  
"No Dinah! Come back!!" Huntress said in a whisper, unable to recover. When she could get up, Dinah had disappeared. She looked sadly at the necklace and the earrings on the floor. She picked them up, shaking her head and walked to the Clock Tower. 


	5. Bird Vs Cat

Silence reigned in the Clock Tower. Helena sat down at a table in the lab. She looked fixedly at the floor. Barbara put disinfectant on a cut on her right cheekbone. Helena closed one of her eyes when she felt the liquid. Barbara wheeled to the next table, took out some bandages, and came closer to Helena again.  
  
"Raise your arm," she requested. The girl obeyed almost mechanically, lost in her thoughts. Barbara observed her while she wrapped the bandage around her forearm, on the cut one that Dinah had produced when she had thrown the desk at Helena. "We will find her." Barbara told her knowing that it was not a great comfort.  
  
"I'm sorry. I screwed it Barbara""  
  
"Don't worry, it was hard keeping that inside for so long"  
  
"We failed her Barbara" Helena said in low voice.  
  
Barbara gave a deep sighed and continued her work without saying word.  
  
"We should have told her before." Helena continued. "Now is not time to think about whether we should have told her or not," Barbara responded adjusting the bandage. "The important thing now is that we have to find her. Finished, you can stand up," she told her taking off the gloves.  
  
"Barbara even if we find her, she won't want to come back, she is very hurt."  
  
"She will have to listen to us and Carolyn." Barbara threw the gloves in the garbage and she wheeled toward the laboratory.  
  
"Carolyn, Carolyn!" Helena exclaimed getting off the table and following Barbara "Why do we have to protect her? It's her fault Dinah is suffering and it's her fault she hates us now!"  
  
"And you should not have told her this. That was my responsibility!" At that moment Carolyn entered the laboratory over the opposed platform.  
  
"Do you know how to knock?" Helena looked at her, irritated.  
  
"Is this your house?" Carolyn raised her brow and she looked at her with irony.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Helena sat down at one of the tables looking at her with fury.  
  
"Barbara called me. You are hurt worse than she told me" she raised a brow with irony "Dinah is better, I believe that the genes speak."  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"Your mother always was a loser. I sent her to jail on several occasions, and so did Barbara. Isn't that right, Barbara?"  
  
"That is the last time that you express in this way of my mother!" Helena got up pointing her index finger at Carolyn.  
  
"Hey!" Barbara said stopping in the middle of both women. "We have to focus on finding Dinah."  
  
"Why did you tell Dinah something that was my responsibility?" Carolyn faced Helena, not caring her that she was younger and taller.  
  
"Why did you have to fake your death?" Helena shouted her. Barbara grabbed her wrist. "Why did you hurt Dinah more? Wasn't it enough breaking her heart and abandoning her when she was a child?"  
  
"I remind you that I am her mother and you are no one to judge my actions!"  
  
"Then you don't drag us into your problems! Now Dinah believes that we failed her!"  
  
"We had a deal! You don't keep your word?" Carolyn crossed her arms looking hard at Huntress. "Oh, I forgot again, the daughters of criminals, inherit their bad habits."  
  
"Enough!" Helena pulled her hand out of Barbara's tight grip. She stood a few inches from Carolyn's face. "What is your problem with my mother?"  
  
"You can't think that I trust you knowing who Selina Kyle was."  
  
"I know perfectly well who Selina Kyle was!"  
  
"Do you know?" Carolyn glared her "Do you know how many robberies she made? How many times she broke the law?"  
  
"Carolyn!" Barbara raised her voice "Stop!"  
  
"Why? I think that it is time that she knows how many times Catwoman was caught stealing, how many times her father tried to stop her. It is time that she knows how many people she hurt in her criminal career or if she killed."  
  
"My mother didn't kill anybody!" Huntress screamed pushing her with her hands, her eyes changing. Barbara tried to hold her.  
  
"How do you know? How can you know? How do you know that it wasn't hid from you?"  
  
Blinded by anger, Huntress threw a blow at Black Canary. She stopped her fist with her hand. "Do you see Helena?" she said. "You lose the control as easily as she did. It is genetic thing and you, sooner or later will be like her."  
  
"I hope be like her some day." Helena grunted rabidly.  
  
"Barbara is wasting her time with you. I don't want you near my daughter." Carolyn twisted Helena's hand down. The girl groaned.  
  
"Leave her Carolyn!" Barbara exclaimed. Helena gave a bell turn surprising Carolyn and when she landed on her feet. She pushed her with a kick in her chest. She fell against one of the tables outside the platform. Helena gave a jump and arrived next to her when she got up. They began to fight, rushing strong blows, but they were not able to connect any. Her reflexes were very good and exact.  
  
Barbara followed them with her concerned look. "Stop!" she screamed "Carolyn, Helena! Stop!"  
  
With her forearm, Helena stopped Carolyn's blow. "You will take that back," she grunted.  
  
"Why ask forgiveness from someone who doesn't deserve it?"  
  
This time Huntress's fist hit Carolyn's face. Carolyn reacted quickly and she landed a blow in Helena's stomach and kicked her in the face making her fall. Huntress shook her head and turned in time to stop another kick in the face. She grabbed Carolyn's foot and turned it making her fall. Huntress jumped over her, grabbing her neck with her hands. "Say you're sorry"  
  
"Why?" Carolyn held her wrist with her hands. "You fight against crime! I fight against it too!! You know what a cat burglar is. Your mother was one! Why should I ask forgiveness for her?"  
  
Carolyn put her legs between her and Helena and pushed her back against a pillar. Carolyn stood up and tried to punch her, but Helena avoided it and hit her in her face twice. Carolyn grabbed Helena by the waist to avoid being hit again and pushed her against a computer desk in the lab. They fell over the platform and the equipment crashed over them. The corner of the computer tower hit hard against Helena's forehead.  
  
Carolyn stood up faster, Helena was stunned, bleeding deeply, she kneeled down putting her hands over the floor trying to stand up, she saw flashes of light in front her.  
  
Barbara saw Carolyn raising her fit to hit Helena again. "No Carolyn!", Barbara wheeled in front of her protégé and Carolyn's punch landed on Barbara.  
  
"Barbara!" Carolyn, scared, leaned over her, "I'm sorry!"  
  
"Why didn't you stop when I asked it?" she said angrily, putting her hand to her eye.  
  
Carolyn saw that Barbara had a small cut under her brow and was bleeding too. Carolyn looked at her hand. She had cut her with the ring in her hand. "Let me see it." she said.  
  
"Damn, Carolyn!" Barbara pulled away from Carolyn's hands. "Helena isn't guilty of her mother's faults! Just like Dinah isn't guilty of all your faults! If you had problems with Selina, they were your problems!! Leave Helena alone! I don't want you to attack her again using her mother's past as an excuse! " Barbara touched her eye, "Damn, that hurts." she mumbled.  
  
"But.." Carolyn blinked. "Helena, are you ok?" Barbara leaned down, trying to help her protégée. Barbara glared at Carolyn. "Is it part of the hero's code to turn your back on a fellow superhero? She was dazed and you tried to hit her! She isn't your enemy!"  
  
"I'm sorry Barbara." Carolyn realized her mistake and tried to help her.  
  
"No! Don't touch her!" Barbara said raising her hand. "Helena has been helping your daughter the whole time that you were lost, that you left Dinah alone. You have been so unfair to her."  
  
Helena still dazed, put her hand on the arm of the chair to stand up. Barbara helped her. Helena looked angrily at Carolyn. Barbara could see the fury in her eyes and grabbed her arm.  
  
"Stop. Go to the lab," she said.  
  
"In a minute, just let me." Helena stood up glaring at Carolyn.  
  
Barbara pulled her by the arm and locked her eyes on Helena's. "Helena, go to the lab now! The fight is over!" Barbara turned to Carolyn "And please Carolyn, go to the kitchen, I'll be there in a minute."  
  
Huntress stood up on the platform and said without turning her head, "Maybe my mother was a thief, but she was able to give up her "job" for her daughter, for me. She loved me so much that she changed her whole life, tried to change and be better...and you who are a hero, you couldn't do that for your daughter..."  
  
Carolyn was ashamed. She looked at Barbara in silence, and walked to the kitchen 


	6. Cat's cry

Gabby was sleeping deeply in her room, she heard a light taps on her window. She woke up and turned her head.  
  
".Dinah??...." she mumbled and stood up to open the window.  
  
"Hi Gabby.." Dinah entered the room.  
  
"What are you doing here! It's too late." Gabby looked outside "Are you nuts? This is a second floor."  
  
"I know, but I didn't want to wake up your parents."  
  
"They aren't here, remember? They went to Indianapolis. What are you doing here?"  
  
"I need you to hide me for a few days." Dinah closed the window and sat in Gabby's bed, she was shivering. "Hide you? What happened? Calm down, And Barbara?"  
  
"I don't want to return to live with her again." Dinah said mad.  
  
"If you explain everything to me, I would understand what's going on." Gabby sat next to her.  
  
".My mom appeared." Dinah avoided saying that she had almost killed Helena too, becouse Gabby didn't know anything about her metahuman side.  
  
"What?" Gabby was shocked "She is dead!.... How."  
  
"She lied to me.." Dinah hugged her and began to cry "She lied to me. and so did Barbara and Helena, they knew and never told me!"  
  
"But. why? What did your mother say?"  
  
"I didn't see her. Helena told me that she appeared at our house a few weeks ago. and they hid it from me, I hate her, I hate Barbara! I thought we were a family."  
  
"What did Barbara say?" Gabby turned on her lamp and gave Dinah a kleenex.  
  
I dunno. I didn't see her. Hun. Helena told me. But I don't want to talk to her, or Helena, again." Dinah felt afraid of herself, of not being able to control her powers, "I'm scared."  
  
"Scared?"  
  
Dinah kept silent. She couldn't tell Gabby all her secrets.  
  
"And your mom?"  
  
"I don't want to see her. I need you to hide me until I leave."  
  
"Leave? Are you nuts? Where are you going to go?"  
  
"As far as I can. just promise me that you won't tell her I am here." Dinah cleaned her nose "This is the first place they will come."  
  
"I'm your friend, but I think that you need talk with your mom, she must have a good reason for doing it, lying you. Maybe she asked Barbara and Helena to not say anything until she talk with you first."  
  
"They should have told me!" Dinah shouted.  
  
"Ok, ok." Gabby touched her shoulder "Stay here, no problem."  
  
"Are you going to hide me?"  
  
"Yes, but I still think that you should talk with your friends, I promise I won't open my mouth."  
  
Dinah hugged her, Gabby too, she thought that maybe the next morning her friend would be calmer and change her mind.  
  
* * *  
  
Helena was really pissed as she sat in a chair in the lab. She put her hand to her head and noticed she was bleeding. "Damn," she said. It had been a terrible day for her, problems, fights, her friend was hurt and disappeared, Carolyn bothered her, she was hoping it would be over soon. She cleaned the blood with her hand, she needed a cloth.  
  
Barbara wheeled toward her. "Let me see that." Barbara stopped in front of her with some gauze.  
  
"No! I'm okay," Helena said angrily and noticed the cut over Barbara's brow. "What happened to you?"  
  
"Nothing, let me clean that wound on you forehead"  
  
"She hit you?" Helena stood up immediately. "I'll kill her!"  
  
"Helena, sit down!" Barbara exclaimed.  
  
"Tell me! Did she touch you?"  
  
"Helena, I told you two to stop and you didn't listen to me! It was an accident." Barbara said, annoyed. "This isn't a boxing ring. This where we work! I'm tired of being a referee when we have troubles! Dinah is gone! Now sit down!"  
  
"She insulted my mother!" Helena shouted walking in circles. "Every time she see me does the same thing! Am I supposed to just smile?"  
  
"I understand you. I'm going to talk with her. This isn't fair to you, but you won't end every conflict that you have with a fight! Now, for the last time, sit down!"  
  
Helena sat and glowered as Barbara began to clean the blood off her face near the wound. They were silent for a few minutes. Barbara tilted her head. "You need a few stitches here." She wheeled to the cabinet.  
  
"Why does she hate me?" Helena asked in low voice "Just because of my mother?"  
  
"She does not hate you."  
  
"It seems like it."  
  
"Helena, Carolyn had a lot of conflicts with your mother. They were like oil and water."  
  
"A bird-cat thing, right?"  
  
"Yes." Barbara wheeled to Helena again, carrying a tray on her lap. "Carolyn was always so inflexible about that, I fight crime too, but I could see the human side of the personas, like your mother did. Raise your head." she raised her arm with the needle. Helena looked at her and grabbed her wrist with her hand. "Was she really so bad, Barbara?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Was my mother so bad?"  
  
"Helena, your mother made many mistakes, like all of us, but the important is that she changed thanks to you," she cupped Helena's cheek. "She gave you all her love and the best of her. How do you remember her?"  
  
The girl thought a second "Hugging me at night, singing to me before bed," Helena smiled, her gazed was fixed to the floor, "Talking about our things, about my problems, I feel warm every time I remember her, but... at the same time I feel cold, the cold of that night, the cold that I felt when I returned to our house to pick up my things. I was longing to see her opening the door saying to me 'welcome back', and." Helena voice broke, her eyes filled with tears.  
  
Barbara squeezed her hand gently. It was one of those strangest moment where Barbara could see the pain in her soul, where she could see her defenceless.  
  
".and she wasn't there, anymore. Her room was empty, empty of her, all her things where were she left them before we left that night. The last blouse that she changed out of was over the bedside table, where she threw it. I opened her closet and I touched her clothes, clothes that she wore, trying to feel her again, just once. I smelled her in each one. I lay on her mattress for many hours smelling her in the pillows, trying to absorb all her scent. before that smell disappeared, sobbing, missing her."  
  
Helena was crying. Barbara hugged her close. "Helena, I love you," she said. "I love you so much." Helena couldn't respond as she cried like a small child in her mentor's arms.  
  
* * *  
  
Barbara entered the kitchen, she had a little patch on her eyebrow. Carolyn was sitting drinking coffee. Barbara went to the coffee maker and took a cup, Then she wheeled next to Carolyn at the table.  
  
"I'm sorry I was so rude" Carolyn said.  
  
"You don't know how Selina's life changed when Helena's born," Barbara said. "She turned from her life of crime. It was beautiful to see them together. Selina was a wonderful mother for her, until she was murdered."  
  
Carolyn crossed her arms and lowered her eyes. ".I'm sorry. Helena almost repeated my words in the letter that I wrote to you when I found Dinah the first time: 'I'm a terrible mother. even Selina, a thief, was able to give up her 'job' for her daughter. I don't know why I was never strong enough to do that for Dinah, because I always loved her, more than anything or anyone else.' I remember that perfectly well.  
  
"Yes, and you don't have the right to hurt Helena just because she is Selina's daughter." Barbara tried not be rude. "Selina is dead, and so is your rivalry. Helena isn't to blame for your problems and differences. You don't have an idea how hard her life has been. Growing up alone, knowing that her father, one of the greatest hero's in the world, could take care of a lot of people, but not his own daughter, could save a lot of lives, but not the life of her mother. She couldn't have a real family, why you want to destroy the only memory that she has of one: her mother? What has she ever done to you?"  
  
"You are right Barbara, I need to apologize to her."  
  
"Yes, but not now, she is not well at the moment." Barbara sighed, looking outside "We need find Dinah and we can't do it fighting among ourselves. If you want our help you have to learn to respect us first."  
  
Carolyn stood up. "I'll need to take a walk for a while."  
  
"Ok."  
  
Carolyn walked to the elevator.  
  
"And Carolyn." Barbara said.  
  
"Yes?..."  
  
"This is Helena's house, not mine." 


	7. What can I do?

StarWars-Freak: What did dhe mean by 'this is helena's house, not mine'? I'm all confusuled. Other than that i love it!  
  
In the chapter V, if you remember at the beginning: ****************************  
  
"Do you know how to knock?" Helena looked at her, irritated.  
  
"Is this your house?" Carolyn raised her brow and she looked at her with irony.  
  
Thanks for all your comments, I enjoy as you writing this..  
  
*****************************  
  
"Gabby"  
  
The blond girl walked in the school corridors and stopped frownered when she recognized the voice. She turned her head. "Hi miss Gordon" she smiled to the redhair.  
  
"Hi Gabby. How are you?"  
  
"Great. great. " Gabby was nervous.  
  
"Have you seen Dinah?"  
  
"Today? No, no. I thought she was sick, I was thinking of calling her after school."  
  
Barbara glared at her and raised her brow, she knew that the girl was lying. "Are you sure?"  
  
"Did something happen? Is she ok?"  
  
"Yes, she is ok, she is just. mad." she moved her fingers nervously. "Gabby, you are her only friend, I know that she has looked for or will look for you, I really need to talk with her, if you see her, please, tell her."  
  
"Okay miss Gordon." Gabby nodded and entered to her classroom. Barbara pressed her lips. She was sure that Dinah and Gabby had talked, but she couldn't force the teen to tell her the truth. She wheeled to the cafeteria.  
  
* * *  
  
Helena sat on the gym floor, with a towel around her neck, she had her arms resting on her knees. She had an itch in her forehead. Barbara was at school and Carolyn was outside. Alfred walked by and stopped in the doorway, she hadn't moved since she had been there. She hadn't touched the punching bag, and knowing her, that meant that something was wrong. He walked inside and stood next to her.  
  
"Bad day miss Helena?"  
  
".Worse than that."  
  
"Miss Dinah will come back, she just needs time."  
  
"Maybe. but that won't make her forget that we lied to her, that we failed her."  
  
"But it was for a good reason."  
  
"Which good reason? Carolyn fooled us."  
  
"Yes, but she was looking for a way to not cause Miss Dinah more pain."  
  
"But we couldn't. she is really pissed."  
  
"Miss Helena, may ask you something?"  
  
"Shoot."  
  
"What bothers more to you? Miss Dinah's problem or the presence of Miss Carolyn?  
  
Helene kept silent; she didn't know what to say.  
  
"Think about that, maybe it will help you figure out what to do." Alfred walked out of the training room.  
  
Helena stood up and walked to the punching bag, she hit it hard. "I don't know... " she walked around the bag and kicked it harder "I don't know!" she shouted.  
  
Helena began to beat it. She hated Carolyn's attitude and her constant attacks on her mother, on herself, it was always the same. She punched the bag several times, the chains began to move. She gave it another violent kick and began to walk in circles.  
  
She stood up, she needed to accept that deep down, she was most concerned because Dinah wasn't there. She had Dinah's look in her mind when she told her that Carolyn was alive; that look full of pain, sadness and reproach to her. She had disappointed her.  
  
"Helena?"  
  
"What?" she answered in a loud and angry voice.  
  
"Hey, easy, What happened?"  
  
Helena saw Barbara wheeling inside. "Nothing." She took a deep breath and put her hands on her waist.  
  
"I know your "nothing's" Come on, what's wrong? Is it Carolyn? I've already talked with her, I told you that."  
  
"Maybe it's not Carolyn, maybe it's everything. Carolyn, my mom, Dinah.I disappointed her."  
  
"Ah. I see, you are worried about that, about Dinah not talking to you again or looking at you like she used to do."  
  
"Uh?" Helena looked her, confused.  
  
"You are her hero. she made the decision to be a hero because she admires you, and suddenly you fell, does that worry you?"  
  
"Of course not!!..." Helena hesitated a moment ".She admires me?"  
  
"Come on, don't tell me that you didn't know. you are her idol." Barbara said.  
  
"Yeah, I'm a brave idol."  
  
"Don't be so hard on yourself Helena. We need to work hard to bring her back, come on, let's go get lunch, Alfred prepared a great meal."  
  
"Another strange meal? No thanks, I'll order a pizza." "Don't worry, I asked for something traditional: hamburgers and French fries."  
  
* * *  
  
"I'm sure she is with her." Barbara said putting a piece of meat in her mouth. She and Helena were at the kitchen eating at noon.  
  
"So why we don't go?" Helena asked.  
  
"Because Carolyn needs to do that. Stay calm, everything is going to be ok. Okay?"  
  
"Bu.."  
  
"Okay?" Barbara said in firm voice.  
  
Carolyn entered at that moment into the kitchen, Helena couldn't hide her annoyance, and lowered her face to her meal.  
  
"Good afternoon Miss Carolyn. want to eat something?" Alfred smiled at the visitor.  
  
"Yes, please Alfred.." Carolyn sat at the table and looked at Barbara "So. did you find her?"  
  
"Yes, as I told you, I'm sure she is at Gabby's house. She is avoiding us. It's not going to be easy to talk with her."  
  
"I know, but all this is my fault" Carolyn said and looked at Helena's forehead, the girl was playing with her food "and I need to fix it". Alfred served her the meal. She smiled at him thankfully.  
  
"She is suffering. you need to do it soon." Barbara raised her brow.  
  
"Yes, I think. tomorrow, I need think what to say. what to do."  
  
"Bon apetit "Helena cleaned her mouth and stood up.  
  
"Where are you going?" Barbara asked. "You did't finish yet."  
  
"I have things to do." Helena left the kitchen and entered the elevator. Carolyn and Barbara kept silent.  
  
"I need apologize to her." Carolyn said finally.  
  
"I think that too."  
  
"She is. difficult, so rebellious. how did you manage her?  
  
"Inside, Helena is sweet, fragile. she doesn't like to show her emotions, that the people see her. after her mother died, she closed her world to everybody, for me was to hard enter. still sometimes it's hard to know what she is thinking or feeling. It's like a fortress. She is still mad because of her mother's murder, because her father is Batman. And tries to avoid feeling pain again."  
  
"She didn't know it?"  
  
"No, she knew it after her mother death, was too hard for her to know that secret. She spent many days in her room with out seeing anyone, she didn't want to listen to me or obey, was angry with life. I changed it with love. just with that, but it was really very hard work." Barbara smiled slightly remembering old times.  
  
"Excuse me for interrupting" Alfred served the next plate "But Miss Barbara did an excellent job. She rescued Miss Helena by herself."  
  
"And she rescued me in some ways too." Barbara added.  
  
* * * Dinah got off the bus and walked toward Gabby's house, about two blocks away. She had been preparing all her things to move out of the city.  
  
She turned a dark corner and heard a faint but familiar swirl of air behind her.  
  
"What are you doing here?" she asked with out turning around, looking in her bag for Gabby's house keys.  
  
"I want to talk to you," Huntress said.  
  
"We don't have anything to talk about."  
  
"Please Dinah." Huntress walked in front of her.  
  
"Haven't you done enough?" Dinah raised her head to look at her. She noticed the stitches in Helena's forehead and a small bruise on her cheek. "What happened to you?"  
  
"A street fight. Forget it. Dinah, we want you to come back."  
  
"I don't want to come back. I don't want to see you. I told you that, don't you remember?" Dinah lowered her face "Sorry for other day. I didn't want to."  
  
"No Dinah, forget it, it's ok."  
  
"I almost killed you. I can't back, I don't trust in you and Barbara. I could kill you, I don't know how manage my powers. I am a damn freak"  
  
"You aren't a freak, you are a great person, a great friend."  
  
"I don't believe in you, sorry" Dinah started to walk again. "And I know that Barbara is listening to us now."  
  
"No, I turned the mic off. Please" Huntress blocked the way and grabbed her wrist, "please give us the chance to talk. You are right. We should have told you that your mother was alive. But she didn't want you to know. She wanted to tell you herself. She was just waiting for the right time to do it."  
  
"I have never hid anything from you, but the most of the time that I have tried to be near you, you have always avoided me. Why should I believe you now?" Dinah took Helena's hand and pulled it out  
  
Huntress shook her head. "Dinah, is really difficult for me open up to people. I think you know that. You are so kind and so affectionate, but I can't be like you. Maybe I wasn't so gently with you, but. but I really appreciate you. you are a great friend"  
  
Suddenly a woman ran toward them screaming. Huntress caught her by the arms.  
  
"Please, help, somebody is hurting my husband!" she said.  
  
"Where?"  
  
"Down the street in an alley, four or five blocks from here.."  
  
"Ok, calm down, we will go there. Call the police. There is a phone." Huntress pointed to the corner.  
  
"We?" Dinah said sarcastically "Are you joking?"  
  
"Come on, someone needs us."  
  
"Go by yourself. I quit." Dinah turned and walked to Gabby's house.  
  
Huntress hesitated a moment, pressed her lips together, and ran to where the woman had said. 


	8. Death touch

My editing team is really marvelous, thanks again, Dixie, Night, Yank, Shadow, Harley, Reese, Dark, Shan and often Dritz... Thanks again.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Barbara was seated in front the Delphi. Like Helena, she was so worried about Dinah, she wanted talk with her. Maybe she would do that after Carolyn. Of course, if she would agree to talk.  
  
"Huntress." she called through the mic.  
  
Dinah was warm, still a little innocent, but very intelligent. She was so different from herself and Helena, but she loved the girl's character, she was a big girl.  
  
"Huntress do you copy?"  
  
The Helena's adaptation to her had been very difficult, but at least she had accepted the blond girl, and the most surprising, she felt affection for her.  
  
"Huntress it isn't time for games, where are you?"  
  
Barbara moved her head knowing her protegge again had turned off her mic.  
  
She sighed deeply and continued working in front of the monitor. The brunnete would appear at any moment and she was going to listen to her.  
  
* * *  
  
Huntress ran five blocks down, the streets were empty, the woman had come at a bad moment, now she needed another chance to talk with Dinah. Maybe she will back later to Gabby's house.  
  
She arrived to an alley and stood in the corner, she saw a man kneeling over another. "Did I interrupt something?" she shouted.  
  
The man turned his face and stood up, leaving the other man unconscious on the ground. His entire body was purple and he was tall and appeared to be very strong. "Well, well, my dessert is here.," he said. "Come here, little girl."  
  
"I'm not a dessert!" Huntress looked at the man lying on the ground and saw that the color of his skin was the same as the other murdered people. "You are the murder! You are killing innocent people! Who are you?"  
  
"I'm The Parasite. and you?"  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Come here and find out." He prepared himself to fight.  
  
Huntress jumped over him. Parasite was surprised at her strength and agility. She kicked him in the jaw.  
  
"Wow, wow," he grabbed it. "A new super hero, I see. this is going to be interesting."  
  
He tried to touch her but Huntress avoided it and punch him in the stomach, he bend down. She turned and kicked him in the head making him fell.  
  
"You are a bad girl," he said when he stood up.  
  
"And you are a son of bitch!" Huntress hit him twice in the face. The Parasite became angry and threw a punch that she avoided.  
  
"Fast, very fast." he said, throwing a punch at her face with his right fist. Huntress stopped it with her hand. The Parasite immediately grabbed her hand with his left one. She groaned in pain feeling like he was sapping her of her energy and strength.  
  
"I need to touch to be alive," he said smiling. "I take all of the person that I touch: energy, abilities, memories, and if is a superhero, like you, your powers. My touch will weaken a person or it will kill if is lengthy."  
  
Huntress kicked him away and he wobbled backward, hitting against the wall. She grabbed her hand, that had been hurted, who was that man?. The Parasite looked at her, surprised, he had read her mind. "Batman was your father, girl?"  
  
"That's none of your business!" Huntress kept her eyes on him.  
  
"It is going to be a pleasure to finish this with you!" Parasite jumped quickly next to her, surprising her. "See? Now I have your skills."  
  
* * *  
  
Dinah entered Gabby's house with a great relief, she didn't expected to meet Helena that night, now she was sure Helena was going to tell Barbara everything, and she would look for her agai. She needed to leave, but it would be most prudent to do it in the morning.  
  
"How was your day?" Gabby asked stepping down the stairs.  
  
"Bad.. Helena found me." Dinah threw her bag in the couch.  
  
"How?"  
  
"I need go Gabby, Barbara will come soon. my mom, as well. I don't want see to her."  
  
"Excuse me for saying so, but it is stupid to run, it's better to talk, say everything you have to say and that's all."  
  
"Gabby.."  
  
"Do anything you wish, but you are a kid doing this!" Gabby turned and walked to the kitchen.  
  
* * *  
  
Parasite tried to punch Huntress, but she moved faster to avoid it. She kicked him once in the ribs and hit him in the face. He moved faster and swept her feet out from under her, making her fall. Then he tried to grab her, but she kicked him again and stood up faster than she could. Parasite ran over to her and start to fight. Huntress felt like she was fighting her own shadow.  
  
She turned and tried to kick him, but he caught her leg in the air with his hand and held it strongly. "Now you are mine!" he shouted. Huntress groaned feeling a great pain in all her body when he touched her again. He quickly leaned over her back and held her. They fell to the ground.  
  
"This feels so good" he said sapping her.  
  
"Rrrgghhh" Huntress grunted and rolled on the ground with him on her back. She moved desperately, like and wild animal trying to break the hold, but he was draining her so fast.  
  
Huntress knew that her mic was off, after the conversation with Dinah she didn't have time to turn it on. And now, she couldn't turn it on because he was holding her arms. No one knew where she was. He put her down on the floor roughly. She pressed her teeth and made a last effort to get lose, but it was unsuccessful. He hugged her tightly until he began to feel that her movements were weaker. Huntress looked with anguish to the end of the alley, wishing to see Dinah appear.  
  
"You are the daughter of a great enemy," he whispered into her ear. "I will enjoy your death, feeling your life drain away. feel that, sweetie? How your life goes?"  
  
Huntress didn't have any strength, she felt her mind foggy. The pain had changed into heaviness throughout her entire body.  
  
"Do you want me to tell you what is going to happen?" Parasite asked, kissing her head and resting his face in hers. "Now you can't move and in a few minutes your heart is going to beat more slowly every time. It will be most difficult to breath, to think, and suddenly, your heart will stop, and you will be dead. A death in my arms, honey."  
  
"Never." she mumbled weakly and began to close her eyes, she tried unsuccessfully to move, feeling his breath in her face. As he spoke, every time was difficult for her to breath; she opened her mouth trying to catch air. She began to see her life flash before her eye with Barbara, Dinah and Reese. All was like a fast movie.  
  
A woman was standing at the end of the alley, she walked to her. When the light of a lamp illuminate her face, Huntress blinked, ".Mom?" she was surprised. She could see her blond hair and her beautiful blue eyes, Selina looked her with sadness.  
  
"Help. me" Huntress whispered feeling the heavy body of Parasite in her back, holding her strongly. "Ouu.please."  
  
"Hold on." Selina said kneeled next to her "Please hold on sweetie, I'm here with you."  
  
A deep sleep was invading Huntress and her eyes began to close. The Parasite laughed as he looked at her. "Close your eyes my dear. When you do, you will never open them again."  
  
A loud noise made him scream. He let go of Huntress and covered his ears. Huntress also heard the terrible sound, but was too dazed to protect her ears. She gritted her teeth in pain. The Parasite rolled on the ground, objects flying all around him.  
  
He could see Back Canary at the end of the alley walking toward him. She closed her mouth.  
  
"What are you doing here?" he asked, surprised, as he stood up.  
  
It's you, I would guess that you are the murder!" she said.  
  
"I'll kill you!" he tried to attack her.  
  
"Not if I kill you first!" Black Canary opened her mouth again. The sound threw him back against a wall.  
  
She stopped her cry. Parasite fell on the ground. "What are you doing here?" she screamed.  
  
"That isn't your bussines!" Parasite woke up annoyed.  
  
"You are killing people, and you almost killed her!" she pointed Huntress "So this is my bussines!".  
  
"It was fun trying to kill Batman's daughter. and you interrupted me, I don't like the interruptions. And I like finish what I start."  
  
"Am so worried about that."  
  
He jumped angrily over her and fell in her back, Canary moved fast and rolled to avoid that his touching her. "I see." she stood up faster "You stole her abilities."  
  
"..And a little more." he laughed trying to hit her. Carolyn kicked him in the stomach and punched in the face. He was preparing to attack her when he saw her preparing too, to use the Canary Cry again.  
  
He moved his index finger "We have time. Now it' your choice. you catch me or you save the Huntress. Later. you and I will meet again later. have fun!" Parasite jumped over a stairway near Huntress and later over a rooftop.  
  
Carolyn looked Huntress who had rolled on her side and ran toward her. She knelt next to her and gently turned her onto her back. "Huntress, are you ok?" The girl didn't respond. Her eyes were half-closed and her face had a grey color. 


	9. Stay with me

Huntress was cold, but still alive. Carolyn noticed that Huntress's mic was off and she turned it back on. She put one of Huntress's earrings in her own ear and put her mouth near the mic.  
  
"Barbara, I need help here, the Parasite touched Huntress. He drained her!"  
  
::The Parasite?:: Oracle exclaimed. ::  
  
"He was here; he ran away. He almost killed her! I stopped him but she is too weak. She looks bad, needs attention immediately!"  
  
::I'm on my way, hold on::  
  
Carolyn cradled Huntress's head in her arms. "Helena stay with me," she said. "Come on, stay with me." The brunette mumbled almost unconscious. "Shh, don't talk. Just stay with me." Carolyn rocked back and forth slowly. "Just stay here. Barbara is coming."  
  
Huntress rested her head in Canary's lap. She felt so weak. That man had really sapped her. She closed her eyes.  
  
"Helena, stay with me! Don't go." Carolyn clapped her cheeks, trying to keep the girl awake. Huntress opened her lids again. "Don't sleep, please, don't.." Carolyn said brushing her hair "I need apologize to you."  
  
".what?" Huntress tried to keep from closing her eyes.  
  
"I said many awful things about your mother. It was a mistake. The differences that I had with your mother were our differences, not yours." Carolyn hugged her tightly.  
  
"My mom.?"  
  
"Yes, excuse me, our relationship always was crime fighter - cat burglar. We never had a normal conversation or a nice talk. I never met her as a woman or a mother. Barbara told me that she was a marvellous mother to you."  
  
".My mom."  
  
"The only important thing is what she was for you. And if she had the character to change all her life because of you, it shows what a great person that she was." Huntress was closing her eyes again, she felt so tired, Carolyn moved her "No, no, stay with me. stay with me, Helena. Barbara is coming. hey, girl look at me!"  
  
".Where. am I.?"  
  
"You fought against parasite, he is very dangerous, I don't know what is he doing here. if he touches you, he drains you, he touched you. Huntress I need you to stay awake, don't fall asleep."  
  
Huntress raised her eyes and looked her. "... Why. you help. me?"  
  
"Huntress, am not so bad.don't think that. I had committed many mistakes not only with you, my principal mistake has been leave my own daughter alone. I am guilty of that, I am also guilty of being so unfair towards with you... but I am not evil, I am just a human that had committed a lot of mistakes"  
  
". I'm cold."  
  
Carolyn touched her face with her back hand, she was really cold, she rubbed her arm trying to give her a little bit of warmth and looked at her worried. "Barbara." she said "I need you here now!"  
  
* * *  
  
Barbara followed Huntress's signal and arrived at the alley with a screech of the Hummer's tires a few minutes later. She drove inside it and stopped a few meters from Carolyn and Huntress. She felt her heart break when saw Helena's grey face illuminated in the car's headlights.  
  
Carolyn brushed back Huntress's hair and said, "Barbara is here. We are going to be home soon. I need you to try to keep conscious, ok?" Helena nodded weakly, she had her lips dry. Carolyn put one of her arms over her shoulder and dragged her to the vehicle. She put her in the back seat, climbed in next to her and closed the door.  
  
"Let's go," she said cradling her. "Helena, are you here with me?" The girl nodded her head.  
  
"How is she?" Barbara asked worriedly, putting the Hummer in reverse.  
  
"He drained her. If we let her go to sleep or fall unconscious, her heart will stop. She is too weak."  
  
"How did you find her?"  
  
"I was looking for Dinah. I walked to Gabby's house when I heard them fight."  
  
"Was lucky that you were there." Barbara looked Carolyn in the mirror. "Thanks."  
  
"No need for thanks. This is our work and she is like your daughter."  
  
"Yes, she is." Barbara drove faster to the Clock Tower.  
  
* * *  
  
Dinah was in bed thinking, she felt confused. Her mother had lied to her. She had been crying night after night. First because of her mothers' abandonment, and now her fake death. She couldn't understand how her own mother could do that to her. All her life spent living like an orphan because of her mothers' fears. It was simply unfair.  
  
On the other side there was Barbara whom she trusted. Barbara was the mother she never had. Always lovely with her, taking care of her problems, helping her to face her powers, and her frights. Why didn't she tell her about Carolyn? Dinah knew Carolyn was her friend, but she knew her deep down in her heart, Barbara had been crying with her on those long nights and giving comfort when needed.  
  
Barbara knew how important this could be for her. She felt betrayed but at the same time she missed her. She always guided Dinah when she felt lost and at this moment she felt really lost. She was dying to call her by phone but she couldn't make her hand pick it up and dial.  
  
Then there was Helena. Dinah tried to be friendly to her but she always felt that it only annoyed her. Helena avoided her and was rude in her answers and attitudes.She always was ready with a sarcastic remark just to bother her.  
  
But now. when she had slapped, hit, and uttered hurtful words, Helena never had raised a hand against her. Quite the opposite, she had hugged her trying to give comfort and an excuse because her lies. Helena never accepted her mistakes. But for the first time in her life, Helena had been talking to her with patience and love, like a real sister. Dinah know she wasn't acting, she really cared. Helena was worry about her.  
  
Dinah had come very close to killing her but Helena ignored it. She expected everything of her,nothing less was allowed. Dinah began to cry. She decided to head down stairs so that she wouldn't wake up Gabby.  
  
* * *  
  
Barbara wheeled next to Helena and reached out to caress her hair. "Can you hear to me?" They were at the med-lab. The girl opened her eyes. "I need you to try to keep awake. It's important. Try to stay awake, until you recover a little of your strength. If you don't, your heart will stop. You are too weak. understand?"  
  
The girl closed and opened her eyelids in agreement. Carolyn placed some cables on Helena's chest to monitor her heart beat. Barbara took her hand gently. "I'm going to stay here with you. If you feel like you are about to fall asleep, squeeze my hand, I need you to fight to remain conscious, I'm here with you. We are going to fight together, ok?"  
  
Carolyn leaned against the wall with her arms crossed over her chest and watched them. Barbara talking to Helena and trying to keep her awake reminded her of when Dinah was a child and she read her stories at night. She almost could see Dinah's lovely face smiling at her. After a few minutes she turned to the elevator.  
  
"Where are you going?" Barbara asked.  
  
"I need find Dinah. she must help us find The Parasite and stop him."  
  
Helena mumbled something that Barbara couldn't understand.  
  
"Don't talk, please Helena." she asked leaning against her.  
  
".she won't." Helena said in low voice. "she not. help."  
  
"Did you talk to her?" Carolyn walked to the lab bed.  
  
"She quit. she thinks that we betrayed her. She refused. to help that woman."  
  
"What woman?" Barbara asked.  
  
Helena swallowed and whispered "A woman. asked for help. Di told me. not anymore. and. I went to that alley alone." Barbara looked Carolyn, concerned. "We failed. her." Helena said with sad voice. "She hates us."  
  
"No, she is just annoyed Hel." Barbara squeezed her hand gently. "Now please, don't talk.".  
  
Carolyn walked to the elevator.  
  
"Carolyn." Barbara called her.  
  
"I'll be back soon." Carolyn entered to the elevator and leave Clock Tower. "I promise."  
  
Barbara sighed deeply and looked Helena. She wet her dry lips with a wet cotton and squeezed her hand lightly. Her body temperature was still below normal. Helena's face was so pale, her half opened eyes were locked to the ceiling.  
  
Barbara was worried, she needed kept conscious Helena and she felt she was losing her. She wheeled to the medical cabinet and took out a saline solution IV. She wheeled back and connected it to Helena's arm; she checked the tube to make sure that the drops fell correctly.  
  
"Am cold." the girl said with a thread in her voice.  
  
Barbara took a bedspread from a cabinet and wheeled back and covered her protégée with it. She put her arms out of it and crossed her hands in her stomach; she put her own hand up hers. "Feel better?" she asked.  
  
The brunette nodded, she moved slowly her head.  
  
"Helena, listen to me." Barbara said. "I'm here. listen my voice."  
  
All was confused, Helena tried to understand what was happening but the only thing she knew is that she felt so tired. The girl tried to focus Barbara's face, but when she did it, she wasn't there, she felt surprised, was another person ".Mom?" she mumbled.  
  
"Am Barbara." the read head caressed her hair holding her hand. "Don't talk."  
  
"Mom.?" Helena was delirious.  
  
"No, Helena, It's Barbara" she whispered in sweet voice.  
  
"I need you mom." the girl said with low voice.  
  
"It's ok Helena, I'm here." Barbara felt a knot in her throat.  
  
"I miss you so much." Helena's eyes were moist. "So much."  
  
"I miss you too." Barbara said almost crying "Fight Helena, don't leave me."  
  
"Leave?... Where?... Where am going mom?"  
  
"No, you are not going to go to any place, stay here, just stay here with me, ok?" Helena nodded with her eyes fixed on her "Focus in my voice just and don't talk, keep your strength. That guy that you meet is a very dangerous man, he drained you. Thanks of God Carolyn was walking near there and could help you."  
  
".She hates me."  
  
"No, she don't hate you."  
  
".Becouse of you."  
  
"Oh God, Helena. Please." Barbara cupped her check with her hand, Helena rest her head in her hand with her lost look, she was terrible cold yet.  
  
"I love you mom." she barely could keep her eyes opened. Helena felt she was falling in a deep dark hole. Suddenly all was black. The hard voice of Barbara brought her back. She half opened her eyes.  
  
"Helena, I need that you stay awake. I need you here. Am Barbara, look at me, Helena!" she moved the girl. "Helena!". Barbara took her face between her hands. "Helena listen to me please, look at me, come on look at me. Am Barbara, Am here, with you, don't give up."  
  
Helena tried to stay awake, but was difficult for her. She needed do it, she knew it, she was fighting to did it, to focus in her mentor's voice to held on it to avoid fall.  
  
"I need you, you are so important to me," Barbara pressed her teeth "you gave me the strength, the hope when I felt lost, when I felt alone. You are one of the principal's reasons for me to not fell, to keep going. Don't let me now! You are my friend, my sister. you are my family." Helena fixed her eyes in her unmoving. "Just resist. please, you are strong, you can do it."  
  
".Barbara." the brunette mumbled.  
  
"Yes, tell me."  
  
".Am here." Helena tried to show her mentor that she was fighting against her own weakness.  
  
"Yes." Barbara smiled holding her hand "I know that you are here, just don't go. Stay with me."  
  
She saw her protégée; her breath was slow but most rhythmical. Her hand was most warm. She was recovering slowly; any other human being would be dead. She had held on for an incredible long exposition to Parasite's touch. Barbara checked the IV and examined the monitors, the only thing that she could do was just wait, and try to keep her awake. 


	10. Bird to bird

Editing team: Waves and hugs. Yank, Nightstalker, ShadoWalker, HarleyFan, Dark, Reese's girl, Shan, Dixie, Shadowpup...!!!  
  
*********************************************  
  
Dinah still couldn't sleep after her conversation with Helena. She was in the living room trying to read, but she couldn't concentrate. Gabby walked downstairs.  
  
"Aren't you going to sleep? It is late," she said, looking at her watch. "One o'clock in the morning!"  
  
"I want to read a little more."  
  
"Ok, it's your choice. But I know that you are not reading, you are thinking about your friends, I still think that you need to talk with them before you leave"  
  
"No, trust me. This is best. In two days I'm going to be far away from here and from this city."  
  
"Oh Dinah, I think is a big mistake."  
  
"Nite Gabby," Dinah answered absentminded. She didn't want to discuss. Gabby shook her head and went back to her room. When she heard the door close, Dinah threw the book on the floor and walked to the garden. She sat in the swing, distracted, thinking.  
  
"How many more times are you going to behave like a child?" Dinah froze when she heard her mother's voice behind her.  
  
* * *  
  
Barbara sat caressing Helena's hair talking to her in a low voice. Alfred entered the infirmary and put on a table a tray with coffee.  
  
"I bring to you some coffe."  
  
"Thanks. I need it"  
  
"How is she?" Alfred stood up next to her. He felt sad to see the daughter of his best friend lying in the bed in that condition.  
  
"Still weak, stay here please just a moment." Barbara wheeled toward the table to took a cup of coffe.  
  
Alfred touched Helena's hand, the girl looked at him and gave him a slight smile.  
  
"Hi miss Helena." he said "You have the character and the inner strength of your mother and your father, like it or not. and you have too, their stubbornness; so, you can do it. I promise you tomorrow morning a great breakfast with a new recipe that I found."  
  
"Alfred." Barbara smiled "Are you trying to kill her?"  
  
"No, is a good one miss Barbara, I promise you, no Mexican food, now is South Arfrican food."  
  
"That sounds dangerous. what about American breakfast?"  
  
Alfred felt Helena's hand squeezing him with lightness. He looked her and could read a "thanks" in her lips. "No thanks miss Helena. You are a great girl, your mother would feel so proud of you, as your father. I know that you don't like talk about him, but it's the true."  
  
Barbara looked her watch, tw o'clock.  
  
"Do you think she would bring her back?" Alfred asked.  
  
"I hope so Alfred, really I hope so."  
  
"What about. if she couldn't?"  
  
"I prefer think that she would do it." Barbara said with sadness and in low voice. She knew was difficult, but, she had the hope. ".As I hope that some day Helena and her father could meet each other."  
  
"Yes. that would be wonderful."  
  
* * *  
  
"You don't have right to say that to me!" Dinah stood up of the swing to face Carolyn.  
  
"Dinah, why do you blame your friends?"  
  
"Which friends?" Dinah turned her head.  
  
"Barbara, Helena." Carolyn locked her eyes on hers.  
  
"Helena? You want her to stay away from me. You don't like her. She is the daughter of a cat burglar, right? She is a bad influence on me, why are you defending her now?"  
  
"Because all this isn't her fault. It is my fault! It was my fault that left you alone when you were a child; it was a mistake to fake my death! You have suffering so much because of me, and it isn't your fault, like it isn't Helena's fault that her mother was a criminal."  
  
"They hid from me that you were back, that is her fault!!" Dinah shouted angry.  
  
"Dinah.." Carolyn felt guilty.  
  
"Anyway, it doesn't matter now. I forced Barbara to let me join them and Helena never liked me. She saw me more like an annoying girl than a friend. Why did you comeback?"  
  
"To be with you..."  
  
"Do you think that am a toy and that you can appear an disappear in my life breaking my heart? Why did you fake your death? And what about my feelings? Did you ever think about me?"  
  
"I saw that you was so happy with them,"  
  
"A mother is a mother, nobody could replaces one!"  
  
"Barbara was doing an excellent job with you." Carolyn explained in a sweet voice "better than me. I thought that I didn't have the right to ask you to come with me, and I decided to disappear from your life."  
  
"Good choice. I don't see the reason for your return." Dinah said sarcastically, crossing her arms.  
  
"I understand my mistake. I went to see Barbara first to explain everything, and I asked them to not tell you anything until I found the right moment to talk to you."  
  
"And now you think that this is the best moment?"  
  
"I will like. but, no, I came here to show you your mistake."  
  
"What?" Dinah raised her brow.  
  
"You can't be a hero only when you are in good mood," Carolyn spoke to her strongly. "If you chose this life, you must take it with all the responsibilities!"  
  
"Ah, no. You are not going to blackmail me with these things!" Dinah glared her.  
  
"No, I'm not going to blackmail you; I'm going to show you what happens when you avoid your responsibilities. Our problems must not interfere with your life as hero. That is, if you really want to be one someday. Come with me." Carolyn took her wrist softly.  
  
"I'm not going to follow you" Dinah groaned angry. "Who are you to.?"  
  
"You must." Carolyn interrupted. "Come with me and later you can do anything you want."  
  
Dinah hesitated.  
  
"I will respect your choice," Carolyn said. "I know that you never will forgive me because I hurt you so much, but your friends aren't guilty of this. I promise that I will disappear from your life after this, but before you tell to me that you quit the hero life, you need to understand that this isn't a game, and that you can't quit it and come back every time you want. You will injure innocent people."  
  
"Where are you going to take me?"  
  
"To the Clock Tower" Carolyn sighed.  
  
"No." Dinah lowered her face.  
  
"Please Dinah, is really important."  
  
"I never come back there!"  
  
"No one is going to try to convince you to change your mind, not Barbara or Helena, I promise."  
  
"What am going to do there?"  
  
"Just look, I only need you to look at something for 5 minutes and then you can go. Please, is important."  
  
Black Canary turned to the street and Dinah followed her in silence.  
  
*************************  
  
BOP, BOP HURRRRAAAAAYYYYY!!!!!!!!! 


	11. Back home

The elevator door opened. Black canary stood there and looked at Dinah "Go to the lab." she said.  
  
Dinah walked to the lab and stood a few meters in front of it. Her heart began to beat faster when she saw in the light of only a small lamp Helena lying in the med-bed; her face was so pale. She saw the Barbara's back, as she squeezed Helena's hand and talked to her in a low voice. Dinah stepped in the middle of the corridor and froze. Carolyn was next to her.  
  
"What happened to her?" Dinah asked in low voice.  
  
"She was talking with you, and a woman asked for your help."  
  
"Yes, I remember that."  
  
"Helena asked you to go with her and you refused. You left your partner."  
  
"What??'" Dinah looked at Carolyn, confused.  
  
The older woman put her hand on Dinah's shoulder and explained. "Helena found an old enemy in the alley that no one expected, the Parasite. If he touches you, he takes your energy, abilities, memories, and if you are a superhero, your powers. His touch will kill. She didn't know that. and he touched her. I was walking near there. I went to Gabby's house to talk with you, and I saw them."  
  
"If you." Tears filled Dinah's eyes.  
  
"If I wasn't there, Helena would be dead now." Carolyn said in a low voice "He had her on the ground, hugging her in a mortal embrace. She was almost dead when I helped her. I needed to keep her awake until Barbara arrived, because she was too weak and if she fell unconscious her heart would stop. Now Barbara is keeping her awake, while her body and organs recover."  
  
"Why would she die if she slept?" Dinah was shocked.  
  
"Her brain is weak too, if she falls asleep, she will forget that she needs breath, and her heart beat will stop. He drained her. Conscious she knows that need to breathe and keep her organs working. Maybe we don't like each other, but we need to help each other through problems. It's our job, and a life is more important than our feelings for that person."  
  
"If I had only gone with her. this wouldn't happened."  
  
"You can't play with being or not being a hero because of your personal problems. It is a big responsibility, and many lives depends on you... even Helena's life."  
  
Dinah didn't know what to do. Carolyn stood in front of her. She remembered the first time that she had faced Helena at the Dark Horse Bar. She remembered it as if it were yesterday..  
  
"What we do is dangerous. I've been out in the field on my own for a very long time and that's the way I like it." Helena said.  
  
"I came here to be like you. I want this more than I've ever wanted anything. I thought if I told you how important this was to me you'd understand." Dinah replied.  
  
"So why can't you just tell me the truth?"  
  
"That is the truth."  
  
"Parents aren't dead, are they?" Helena glared at her putting her hands over the bar.  
  
"It's not that easy. It's complicated." Dinah said.  
  
"You're sixteen. How complicated can it be?"  
  
"Yeah, and when you were sixteen, life was really simple and straightforward."  
  
"Hey, that's totally different and completely besides the point. Trust isn't something that you can't just be given, it has to be earned!"  
  
"Then let me earn it. If you would just give me a chance, I know I could prove it to you."  
  
"When? When we're out in the field and it's full-on kill-or-be-killed combat? I need to be completely sure that someone's got my back. There's only one person I can count on for that."  
  
And later, a few hours later after they caught Slick, Helena had told her:  
  
"I told you trust had to be earned, and I was wrong. Trust is a gift. You were there for me when it mattered, for both of us. And as for the rest of it... it's an act of faith, believing in someone. I believe in you.."  
  
Helena had trust in her, and because of her anger she had failed that trust, Helena was right, she needed someone to watch her back, her life depended on it. And she had failed. Her anger wasn't an excuse to leave her partner alone, exposed to an unexpected death.  
  
"Now choose." Carolyn said "Walk to the elevator and go, don't look back and forget this damn idea to be a hero." Dinah lowered her face "Or stay, learn to forgive and never, never again put the life of anyone at risk because of your mood. Before you make a decision, think carefully. I'm your mother. I love you .I made many mistakes with you and I can't change that. I hurt you. And I feel ashamed of myself." Carolyn hugged her and caressed her hair. "But I couldn't do that more. I just want to say I'm sorry. I hope you will forgive me some day."  
  
Carolyn walked into the lab to join Barbara. Dinah stood up, confused.  
  
Helena and Barbara hadn't noticed that she was there. Helena had her eyes barely open but she moved them to see Carolyn walking into the infirmary. Barbara turned her head and saw her. alone.  
  
"Dinah?". Barbara asked hopefully.  
  
"Later." Carolyn answered touching her shoulder and looking Helena. "How is she doing?"  
  
Barbara sighed sad, it seemed that Carolyn couldn't convince Dinah to come back, but at that moment she couldn't worry about that. Dinah would have to wait, Helena needed all her attention. The girl couldn't avoid reflecting the sadness in her face too.  
  
"Better, I need to check her, stay here." Barbara wheeled to the machine that was monitoring Helena's heart rate and her whole system. Carolyn sat next to the brunette and relieved Barbara. She held her hand, it was warm, that was a good sign.  
  
"Hi Helena" she said looking her "I'm sorry..."  
  
"She left. right?" the brunette asked with weak voice.  
  
"Later we'll talk." Carolyn bit her lip. "This isn't the time. The important thing now is you"  
  
"We lost her."  
  
"I hope not, Helena, she just needs time. I'll try again, I promise you. Don't think about that. Please, focus on yourself"  
  
Dinah felt surprised to see her mother talking in a loving way to Helena. She was still confused, she didn't know what to do. Around her mind rolled many ideas, it was a fight between her pride and her love for her friends.  
  
"She is better. much better... The critical moment has passed.." Barbara smiled, typing some information in the computer. "Her system is working without problems."  
  
"Hear that, Helena?" Carolyn said. "We will have another big fight soon."  
  
"Good." Helena closed her eyes. "Give me time. and I would. kick your ass."  
  
Carolyn gave her a light smile. "I don't think so, but you will try."  
  
".May I sleep now?" Helena mumbled.  
  
"Yes. you are going to be okay." Barbara said, wheeling next to her.  
  
"I'm sorry." Dinah entered the room surprising all them. She walked toward Helena crying. "I'm sorry, Hel" She wrapped her arms around the brunette. Helena was confused and looked at Barbara and Carolyn.  
  
"I failed you. I was your partner and my rage didn't let me see.."  
  
"It's okay, Dinah," Helena said in an almost imperceptible voice. She tried to hug the girl but she still couldn't move. But inside, she felt very happy to see Dinah with them again.  
  
"He almost killed you. I wasn't a good partner I must be there to cover your back."  
  
"This wasn't your fault." Barbara touched the blond's shoulder. Dinah looked at her and leapt into her arms.  
  
"I'm sorry, Barbara. I love you!" the girl said, sobbing. "I failed to you two"  
  
Barbara hugged her tightly. "Calm down Dinah." she said. "You did not fail us."  
  
"Yes, I did!"  
  
"No, no, it was our fault, we disappointed you, your reaction was natural."  
  
Carolyn stood up, she looked at the girl with sadness. She felt that it was really her fault, not Dinah's, like all the events of the last few days.  
  
"No one is perfect, remember that?" Barbara told Dinah smoothing her hair. "We learn something new every day. I learned to not hide anything from you ever again."  
  
"Thanks..." Dinah turned to look at Helena again and sat next to her. "Is she going to be okay?" she asked touching her arm. Helena nodded.  
  
"Yes, in the morning she'll be better." Barbara said. "She is meta, remember that."  
  
"I was a bad partner. I let my anger control me."  
  
"Dinah." Helena whispered "Forget it all. I wasn't. a good partner either, nor a friend."  
  
"Dinah." Barbara touched her shoulder "She just needs rest. In the morning she will be better, and you two can talk" Barbara said looking at Carolyn. "I think that now you need to talk with your mother. alone. Go with her, I will stay here with Helena."  
  
Dinah turned her head to look at Carolyn.  
  
"Ok." she said.  
  
"Hey blondie." Helena whispered to Dinah. ".glad to see you here again."  
  
"Me too." 


	12. Who's there?

Guys, thanks for your comments, you forced me to did a small changes, I hope it likes you, and thanks so much.  
  
***********************************************  
  
Carolyn and Dinah were seated outside the Clock Tower. They were in silence. It was a moment completely different than either had imagined. Dinah had seen unexpected attitudes and reactions in her friends and in her mother.  
  
"I have told you most." Carolyn said playing with her fingers "I thought days and days what to say to you. and at this moment, the only thing that I can say is that I'm sorry. It's my fault that you felt that your friends failed you, and it wasn't true. I asked them do it, Helena didn't want to do it but I asked it of her."  
  
"I was thinking what to say to you, as well. And. right now I don't know what to say either. Why. Why did you help Helena? I saw you taking care of her in the infirmary. and she doesn't like you, she is the daughter of an enemy. You wanted to see me far away from her."  
  
"I'm not as evil as all of you think, I'm just human, Dinah. A human that has committed a lot of mistakes, the biggest, is leaving you alone. I never could forgive myself for that." "I saw a big human side in you tonight. I thought that you couldn't change or be flexible in your ideas. but I was wrong." Dinah said.  
  
"That doesn't matter." Carolyn explained "I'm not a hero, I'm a woman, a woman that has to try to get the forgiveness of her daughter, a daughter that she had failed many times. I know that maybe you can't do it now, but I hope that at least you will try. and maybe some day..."  
  
".You hurt me so much. and that isn't easy to forget. I can't think now, so many things happened in so little time, I feel confused..."  
  
".. Do you hate me?"  
  
"No. I couldn't, you are my mother, and I can't change that. You stole the opportunity to grow together, to be a family; we can't get the time back, no matter what you do. that time will never return... we lost it."  
  
"I thought at the time that I was doing the right." Carolyn said.  
  
"I lived like an orphan with a family that saw me as a damn freak!" the blonde girl shouted.  
  
"I lived afraid of myself for many years!! I thought I was crazy! Barbara rescued me, she helped me to understand. without her, I could be anywhere hiding, hiding from myself." Carolyn didn't know what to say.  
  
"I spent so many Christmas and birthdays alone, crying for you. I was sick at night, I couldn't have a family! You denied it from me! You kicked me out of your life and you left me alone!" Dinah was almost crying ". and later you came back, back just to trick me with your "death". And now here you are, in front of me, asking me to forgive you. Sorry, but I can't, I can't. I don't hate you, but now, I can't forgive you, I have to go."  
  
Dinah entered the Clock Tower, leaving Carolyn alone, and crying.  
  
* * *  
  
Dinah was crying, she stood in front of the infirmary. Helena was in deep sleep, Barbara was asleep too in her chair. The brunette was like a big girl, but nobody could imagine her incredible inner strength. It had been a very difficult few days for all. She had found her mother again and she didn't yet know how to manage that because she felt so hurt, and she had discovered a new face in Helena. She was a good friend.  
  
Dinah cleaned her face and checked the monitors one by one and then she touched Barbara's shoulder. "Hey, let's go to bed." she whispered to her.  
  
"Uh?" Barbara rubbed her eyes, dazed.  
  
"You need rest, go to the bedroom." Dinah said in low voice to avoid waking Helena . "Did you check .?"  
  
"Yes, her breathing is normal, she is okay, do you want me to move her?"  
  
"No, I wanted to move her to my bedroom but she refused, she is very comfortable here and she felt too tired to be moving from one place to another." Barbara looked at the brunette and brushed her hair "she looks better."  
  
Dinah gave Barbara Huntress' earring that her mother had taken. Barbara kept it in her pocket. They stepped outside of the infirmary so they wouldn't wake Helena.  
  
"Everything is okay with your mother?" Barbara asked seeing her red eyes.  
  
Dinah crossed her arms "All this is so hard. She lied to me, she left me alone, she stole the opportunity to have a family from me. Maybe I'll never be able understand that, but, she is my mother, Barbara. I can't change that, but now, now I can't forgive her, too many things in such a short time. I need time."  
  
"I understand." Barbara said touching her hand "I can't excuse her, can't explain you why she did that. but I hope you can forgive her some day. As I hope you can forgive me too."  
  
"No Barbara. all this wasn't your fault, neither Helena."  
  
"Yes, we lied to you, we should have convinced Carolyn to talk with you immediately."  
  
"I missed you. I really wanted to talk with you about this, I really wanted to do it. but I was so mad, I felt lost. I discovered how important it is to have you as a guide in my life. Sorry Barbara. I didn't want to hurt her or you."  
  
"I know that." Barbara said "I know that. I'm really happy to see you here again with us."  
  
"Barbara." Dinah lowered her face "I missed talking with you, really. I was so scared."  
  
"Scared about what?" Barbara didn't understand.  
  
"About me." Dinah looked at her fearfully and crossed her arms.  
  
"About you?"  
  
"Helena didn't tell you?..." the blond felt ashamed "I almost killed her."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Barbara was surprised to hear that. "When was that? What did you do?"  
  
"The night that she told me about my mother"  
  
"She told me that you two discussed it and had a little fight but not that.What happened?"  
  
"I was angry. I was sad," Dinah explained crying "I was crying and suddenly I turned my head and she was on the floor gasping for air. I was unconsciously choking her and I didn't realize it. I was scared. Am scared. I can kill you with out being conscious of it. I can't control myself."  
  
Barbara extended her arms and pulled Dinah into a hug. "Don't worry, Dinah, you are still learning to control your powers and this is not easy. We know that, and we understand." "Helena won't forgive me, I left her alone tonight and I almost killed her."  
  
"Helena doesn't need to forgive you, she was so worried about you, about where you were and how you felt. All these nights she has been looking for you until late. I saw that and I listened to her. You know that rarely she accepts these kinds of things. This shows you that she appreciates you. She feels guilty for hiding this from you as do I. Please, don't cry."  
  
"I feel so bad." Dinah cried for a long time in Barbara's arms.  
  
"No, don't, you are learning, we all are learning together."  
  
Carolyn looked her in the distance and sighed hugging her self, she felt terribly alone, terribly guilty because she couldn't give her own daughter the comfort that Barbara could give her.  
  
* * *  
  
It was four o'clock in the morning. Carolyn was in the guest room, Barbara and Dinah in their own bedrooms. The elevator door opened, a big shadow stepped out and looked around, the lights were off and it was completely dark. But he could clearly see the brunette sleeping on her side, covered with a blanket.  
  
The sense of danger woke up Huntress, she opened her eyes and rolled onto her back. She saw The Parasite standing in front of her. He covered her mouth with his hand and with the other grabbed one of Huntress' wrists.  
  
"Shhh! I can kill you now." he said in low voice. "If you scream I will just take all your energy and you will die before anyone can do something, you are still too weak, I know that, you aren't able to stand up yet, much less fight."  
  
Huntress' breathing speed up, he was right, she still barely could move. How could he be there? How could he avoid the Clock Tower's security system? The Parasite could see the confusion on her face and leaned down to her face while he took off her necklace.  
  
"I know what is this," he smiled, throwing it to the floor and keeping her only earring in his pocket. "As I said, I stole your memories, I can see who are you, what are you; I know your powers and abilities; I could see this place too, the codes to enter. I imagined that Black Canary brought here you; I saw your telepathic friend that ran away and that Batgirl is your mentor."  
  
Helena felt scared, if he attacked her friends he would surprise and kill them and she couldn't prevent it.  
  
"Don't worry girl, I'm not interested in her, she is an invalid. I'm interested in you."  
  
Huntress moved her eyes, looking to see if someone had heard them. Parasite caressed her hair. "I've found that you are pretty strong, stronger than anyone I have ever felt in many years. Has anyone told you that you are so beautiful?"  
  
Huntress tried to move but he squeezed her wrist forcefully.  
  
"Don't do that." Parasite growled, wagging his index finger in front of her. "I will kill you before your invalid friend can help you. Now I have all of your meta-abilities, as you call it, meta, no? I need you as a source of energy and as bait. You will die, but not now, I need more of your strength to defeat Black Canary and to trap and kill her. Where is she?"  
  
Huntress noticed that he had read her mind when he attacked her a few hours ago, and she momentarily remembered that Dinah, Black Canary and Barbara were sleeping on the lower floor. She felt relieved about that and tried to make her mind in blank so that if he touched her, he would not be able to find out.  
  
"Where is she?" he asked again.  
  
"Dunno." she mumbled breathing excited.  
  
"Yes, I read that in your mind, but she knows this place, she knows Batgirl, I will leave her a message."  
  
The Parasite gazed at the young woman before her. "You really are so pretty. Now you come with me, I'll take you to your new home, I need your strength. Sleep my dear."  
  
He leaned over and grabbed her chin to kiss her on the mouth. Huntress tried to move her head but he held her strongly. He pressed his lips against hers and she felt him draining her again. All became black, her eyes rolled back before she passed out.  
  
"Delicious." Parasite smiled looking at the unconscious girl ".and enough to keep you quiet." He took her off the bedspread and loaded her in his arms, she wasn't too heavy.  
  
Parasite looked around, the place was amazing, but he first needed to trap Canary by taking advantage of the incredible power that he could steal from the brunette, while he killed her slowly. He walked to the elevator and left the Clocktower. 


	13. Concern

Barbara woke up early; she went to check on Helena. She wheeled into the infirmary and had a bad feeling when she didn't see Helena there. The bed was empty; her coat was on the table, and her boots under it.  
  
She looked around and called her. Suddenly she froze; Helena's necklace was on the floor. She took it with her hand and called her again. Now she was seriously worried. She wheeled to the main computer and reviewed the security video tapes.  
  
"No!." she mumbled when he saw the image of Parasite entered the Clock Tower and taking Helena with him. "I was so stupid!" she hit her hand against the table. "I was so stupid. how I could forgot that?"  
  
* * *  
  
"Carolyn! He was here!" Barbara shouted wheeling inside her bedroom, Carolyn violently woke up.  
  
"What?" she asked, still dazed.  
  
"Carolyn, he kidnapped Helena! He was here last night!" Barbara showed her, Helena's necklace.  
  
"Calm down!" Carolyn sat up in the bed "Who was here?"  
  
"Parasite.." Barbara couldn't avoid her concern. "Helena isn't in the med lab."  
  
"What???" she stood up. "How could he avoid the security system?  
  
"Remember, when he touches you, he takes your energy, abilities. and memories. I was so stupid! I forgot that! I needed to change the codes! He could see the codes in her mind and this place." Barbara explained.  
  
"Why did he kidnap her?"  
  
"I don't know. he could have kill her here, but he didn't. I don't what he's thinking."  
  
Carolyn freezes. "Why he didn't attack us last night? He surely knows that you were Batgirl, why didn't he kill her and. you?"  
  
"I don't know, is difficult to say, we need move fast to try and solve this riddle."  
  
"What happened?" Dinah enters the room, rubbing her eyes. "Why are you two shouting so loud?"  
  
"I need to get dressed..." Carolyn grabs her clothes.  
  
"Dinah, you get dressed too, quickly, I'll see you in the lab." Barbara ordered.  
  
"What happened?" Dinah didn't understand.  
  
"Parasite was here last night, he got Huntress."  
  
"What????" Dinah was surprised. "He was here.?"  
  
"I'll explain it to you while you dress, come on" Carolyn said.  
  
A few minutes later, the three women were working in the lab. Barbara was concerned, she examined the small spots of oil that he had left in Huntress' necklace. She felt bothered with her own self, she overlooked the ability of Parasite of stole memory. If she would have stopped to think about it, she could have changed the codes in time and avoid the trap for Helena.  
  
"Exactly who is The Parasite?" Dinah asked to her mother looking over her shoulder. "An old enemy of Batman?"  
  
Carolyn was seated in front of one of the monitors. "No, an old enemy of Superman." she answered.  
  
"Superman? Sometimes these heroes sound like fantasy."  
  
"They aren't. Rudy Jones was transformed while working as a janitor at Pittsburgh's S.T.A.R. Labs facility." She explained "Thinking a waste container might have held something valuable he opened it and was exposed to strange radiation that changed his body. When he mutated, he became purple. Jones had the ability to absorb the life energy of other people leaving withered corpses. When not feeding on life energy, he can feed on other forms of power, such as electricity."  
  
"He feed people?"  
  
"Yes. to say it in some way, yes. " Carolyn crossed her fingers.  
  
"Why don't he just kill Huntress?" Dinah asked. "Why didn't he look for you Oracle? He knows you are Batgirl!"  
  
"Yea, but we never had a real "fight" face to face. I really would like know what is in his mind. Maybe he is using her to trap your mother. Maybe he is looking for her," Barbara added "just for revenge."  
  
"We were old enemies" Carolyn said "We haven't seen each other since many years ago. He surprised me, what is he doing in New Gothman? Did you get the results yet, Oracle?"  
  
"I'm waiting for the results from the machine, those spots will tell us where he is."  
  
"If he read Helena's mind he know everything about us, about this place, about where we work, what we do, he could surprise us at any moment!" Dinah sat next to her.  
  
"I know. I know. Because of that, I need find him as soon as possible." Barbara couldn't hide her concerned. "We need to surprise him. Helena is defenseless at this moment and he will kill her."  
  
".How do you know. she isn't dead now?" Dinah said in a low voice.  
  
Barbara kept silence "Because... if he wanted to kill her, he would have done it last night, and he didn't. Damn! I hope he hasn't touched her again."  
  
"He surely will contact us." Canary said.  
  
"Yes, I know. but we need to find him before he finds us."  
  
"I'll go hit the street." Dinah stood up.  
  
"Wait, where are you going?" Barbara asked.  
  
"We need search for."  
  
"No, no. wait. We need a plan first and later you will go to the street. You can't expose your self to find him."  
  
"Why not?" Dinah crossed her arms.  
  
"Dinah I don't want to see you dead!" Barbara glared at her "He read Helena's mind! He knows you, he knows your powers! Before you could see him he will be over you and touch you!! He has Huntress' abilities too, and you know perfectly well that she is a great fighter, you still couldn't defeat her! He is not a common enemy; I don't want to put you at risk! I am as concerned as you, maybe more. but we need to use our heads, and not our heart, understand?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
".I don't want to lose you." Barbara added in low voice.  
  
Dinah lowered her head and nodded. Carolyn looked at them in silence..  
  
"I'm gong to start a plan," Barbara said "You and Canary are going to look for him in some places, but we need do it in order, to earn time. If he discovered us he will kill Helena, or kill anyone of us."  
  
"This is the hardest part of this job" Carolyn sighed "Try to keep calm when someone that you love is at risk."  
  
Barbara held Dinah's arm "We'll bring her back. ok? Don't worry. Help Carolyn search the files."  
  
Dinah took the disk that Barbara gave her, and sat at the computer next to Carolyn. 


	14. Mother embrace

Huntress began to recover conscience slowly, she felt really tired; something was wrong, she felt like she was floating in. water? Warm water. She was breathing with something, an annoyed thing that was inside her mouth; she bite it lightly, was a small plastic tube, was a breather. She didn't like it.  
  
She forced her self to open her eyes with effort, she realized that she was inside a big glass cylinder tube, she was floating in some kind of weird green water. She could see the breather over her mouth, a small one. He had exchanged her clothes for a white costume over her body like a second skin. Several cables were connected from the costume to the top of the cylinder. She looked up, it were connected to the top of the tube.  
  
A small round green light in the middle of her chest sparkled. Yes, definitely, She didn't like this, she felt like an experimental animal. Why was she there? She was in the. God! He was at Clock Tower!, now she remembered. He took her to that place.  
  
She put her hands over the glass and tried to push it with one of her feet, but was bare and slipped. Suddenly she saw the Parasite, he was in front of a control panel moving some buttons. He looked at her and walked over.  
  
"Hi sweetie, you are awake, good." He said "Maybe you are asking yourself where you are. Well I'm going to drain you. As I said, I'm going to use you as a source of energy, this is a special invention, I prepared it to catch Superman, but I will use it with you."  
  
Huntress moved her head and examined the big tube where she was.  
  
"It's too strong my dear, two inches." Parasite said "That light over your chest is showing me your heart rhythm. The liquid around you, feeds you through your skin and the costume helps. You are receiving proteins, vitamins, all the things that you need to keep you alive. The cables are taking your energy to that machine" He pointed a big computer that had a panel with two metal fingerprints on the front. "And you are breathing thanks of that" he pointed the breather "So, try to not break it."  
  
Huntress knew she was in troubles. That man was insane. Parasite laughed and continued his explanation.  
  
"When I turned the system on; every time I'll put my hands there, I will take your energy that is stored. You will only have enough strength to be alive, but no more. I'l kill you slowly. And now, you are awake and we can prove the machine."  
  
Parasite walked toward the finger printers, Huntress followed him with her look and tried to break the glass with her fits but the substance where she was floating didn't let her have a free movement.  
  
"I need to prepare myself, Black Canary will come to rescue you, and I'll be there. But I need first work, and you are going to help me." He said as he placed his hands there, bright light covered him.  
  
Huntress' body shook. She groaned in the breather feeling him sapping her and tried to break unsuccessfully the cables that connected her with the machine.  
  
"Yes!" he said "It works! See girl? I feel great!" He smiled taking her hands off and looked Huntress "You and I are a great team!"  
  
Huntress moved, aching all over. He walked out of the room. She could barely keep her eyes open after that. She took hesitant one of the cables in her chest to try to pulled it off, but before she could do it, she fell unconscious.  
  
* * *  
  
The night fell over New Gotham, Barbara was still working at the lab. Parasite will know how she works reading her protégée mind and seems that he was avoiding let any kind of trace. She took off her glasses and put her fingers in the brick of her nose.  
  
Carolyn and Dinah arrived from look information in the streets.  
  
"We couldn't find anything. Did you have any luck?" Carolyn asked.  
  
"Nothing. the oil didn't give us a trace "  
  
"One more day is gone and we don't have an idea about where he could get Huntress!" Dinah felt frustrated.  
  
The alarm turned on. Carolyn looked the monitor.  
  
"Police report." she said "Someone. jumped from and high building over the bank truck and stole the money. The thief fought very similar to Huntress according to the report."  
  
"He is still using her ??" Dinah said, worried. "Is this a good signal or what?."  
  
"Well." Barbara sighed "after absorbing energy from his victims, he was able to maintain the powers and energy he stole from people for an extended amount of time, even enabling him to take their shape. But, he will try take advantage of Huntress. He would be draining her yet."  
  
"Uhh?" Dinah looked at her. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"That he not just kidnapped her to take her as a prisoner, he will be using her. like a. a kind of source of energy." Barbara tried focus in her job. ".and kill her slowly."  
  
"That sounds creepy." Dinah mumbled.  
  
"Yes, but am afraid of it." Barbara added. "Now, I think that you two need go to that place and look for a clue."  
  
"A package has arrived Miss Barbara" Alfred entered to the lab and gave her an envelope.  
  
"Canary, Did you search in the files about his activities in Metropolis?" Barbara opened it distracted.  
  
"Yes, but nothing interesting, maybe we can." Canary started to say.  
  
"Forget it" Barbara said. Canary looked at her. Barbara took off the envelope an earring of Huntress and showed them.  
  
"Uh oh " Dinah mumbled. "Is she.?"  
  
"No... I don't think so" Barbara said "he is showing us that he has the control. He will play with it a little more."  
  
"And it will give us time." Carolyn said.  
  
"Exactly." Barbara closed her fit around Huntress' earring "Let's go to work."  
  
* * *  
  
Huntress tried hard to open her eyes, she felt too tired, she felt as drugged, she lost all sense of time; there wasn't anything in that room that gave her an orientation about if it was day or night, or if she had been there hours or days. The only sound that she listened was her own breathing in the breather. She lowered her head and took again one of the cables in her chest with her hands. She tried again to pull it off, but was strongly stuck to the white costume that she wore. That simple movement tired her badly.  
  
She rest a few seconds and put her feet over the glass wall and her back in the opposite side and tried to push and break the container unsuccessfully. Parasite had been prepared her cell perfectly well. She couldn't escape, she was too weak, and he wouldn't give her any opportunity.  
  
She heard the heavy metal door and saw Parasite walking in.  
  
"Nice you are wake" he said "I have great news. Black Canary will come to see you soon. After I kill her, I'll go for your another two friends." He stopped in front of the container "Maybe. Barbara is her name? Maybe Barbara could guide me to find Batman if I touched her. The problem is that maybe she will die after that."  
  
Huntress felt the anger growing inside her when she listened the name of her mentor in his voice. She hated that man. She put both hands over the glass and stared at him.  
  
"Amazing, amazing your determination." Parasite laughed "Keep your energy, keep it. for me. We have work to do tonight. I need return to Metropolis, but I need do it with. a good economical support, know?" He walked toward the fingerprints.  
  
"No please. no again" Huntress said incomprehensible because of the breather in her mouth.  
  
"I can't understand, did you say something?" He joked about that, and placed his hands in the finger printers. The brightness light covered him again. She groaned again feeling him sapping her and her body shake.  
  
Parasite wait a few seconds and took off her hands. He walked toward her. Huntress moved restlessly inside the tube and grumbled in low voice. Every time he did that it hurt her so much.  
  
"Am going to kill you as I said to you, slowly. You are pretty strong, maybe it will take me a week or two, but I can tell you that am enjoying this so much. I dunno you. Well, is late. Thanks dear! I'll go to work."  
  
He walked outside of the room and closed the door. Huntress moved her head back, she wondered if Barbara would find her before that man kill her. She needed her mentor at that moment, she really needed the help of somebody, but she was alone, and she didn't have the necklace, Barbara couldn't find her. But she was most worried because her friends were in danger and she couldn't prevent them than in herself. She needed go out, but she couldn't. Her eyes closed and she began to fall in the unconsciousness calling Barbara in the breather.  
  
Suddenly she felt something strange, she barely opened her eyes and saw her mother in front of her smiling. I she said to herself.  
  
"No, you aren't." Selina hugged her, Helena couldn't give it back, but she enjoyed feeling her warm next to her. "You are strong my dear, fight, fight my little girl." Selina said with sweet voice brushing her hair "I'm here with you, I love you."  
  
"I miss you so much" Helena whispered and rested her head in her mothers' shoulder before she passed out. 


	15. Hope

Barbara was working late on the computer, Canary was in the streets looking for any trace of Huntress. Dinah fell asleep in a chair next to Barbara. Suddenly, the girl began to move restlessly, Barbara watched her. The girl was sweating; Barbara moved her shoulder and the girl woke up abruptly breathing quickly.  
  
"She is dying!" Dinah said.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Helena is dying. I saw her " Dinah said scaredly and stood up.  
  
"Where did you see her?" Barbara asked, worried.  
  
"It was a dark place. she was trapped. looked like a storage facility. "  
  
"Where?"  
  
"Was a place. old... alone. cold. She is suffering Barbara, I felt great pain! We need to do something!"  
  
"Calm down, calm down, ok?, focus. Breathe and focus your mind, what did you see?"  
  
"It was an old building. I could see pipes, tubes... big storages. oil. She is inside a glass box, but, she couldn't move. It's a circular room." Dinah explained "The floor is gray."  
  
"The walls?"  
  
"Green. I think. I could see a big computer. and a "Danger" sign.  
  
"I got an idea. Call Canary, tell her to come back" she told Dinah "Meanwhile, I need to do something. Maybe we can find him..."  
  
* * *  
  
A few minutes later, canary arrived back to Clock Tower. She walked into the lab.  
  
"What happened? Did you find something?" she asked.  
  
"I get now why I couldn't find the source of the spot grass." Barbara said looking at a paper with the results of her experiment "The spot of grass that the necklace had, was of a new kind of oil that was out of production since 3 years ago. The plant was closed, the oil was of really bad quality" Oracle said. "I did a comparative, it had the same composition than the one in Helena's necklace." "He's in that old plant?" Dinah asked.  
  
"It is a possibility, we don't have much more choices, you two need to go. Huntress doesn't have much time." Barbara showed the a map on the computer screen "You need to enter by the river, it is the safest way.Carolyn, take Huntress necklace, we need to stay in contact."  
  
"Okay, let's go Dinah." Canary said. "We need to move faster." Black Canary and Dinah swam through the river and entered in the old refinery. "Wow" Dinah said while she took off the diver costume "Cold water. Are you sure she will be here Oracle? This is full of dust."  
  
::I hope. The spot grass is identical that the one produced there and you described to me a kind of refinery that must be that one. The green color was usual in that company.::  
  
"Trust her." Black Canary said "She is a great detective."  
  
"How did you meet her?" Dinah asked.  
  
"Batgirl? Well. in the Justice League." Canary turned on a pal.  
  
"Justice League?"  
  
"Long story, maybe I can tell you later. We were a great group. And later, well, we had some things in common and we became friends."  
  
".And who is my father?" Carolyn froze and swallowed. Oracle froze too, and kept silent.  
  
"Dinah. I don't think this is a good time to talk about it." Carolyn explained "I promise to talk about it with you, but not now."  
  
". Yea, you're right." Dinah nodded.  
  
"Oracle, we are inside." Canary said.  
  
::Ok, go to the air conditioner tunnels entrance, should be to your right::  
  
They found the air conditioner tunnels and dragged themselves in. They had a map, Carolyn examined it.  
  
".We need tp separate Dinah, to do it faster. In your dream, you saw a circular room, there are six rooms here like the one that you describe, you go to the left and I to the right. ok?"  
  
The girl nodded and began to search for the room.  
  
* * *  
  
In the Clock Tower, Barbara waited, as she watched the signal on the monitor.  
  
"Dinah is asking dangerous questions." Alfred said.  
  
"Well, not exactly dangerous but. difficult yes." Barbara scratched her head "and at a bad time."  
  
"Do you think they will find her soon, Miss Barbara?" Alfred asked.  
  
"I hope. If we will surprise him, it will give us the advantage." Barbara looked at Alfred, concerned. "I'm praying for her, wishing that she is still alive."  
  
* * *  
  
* * *  
  
Huntress was again returning to consciousness. She raised her head a few inches and looked around. Nobody would help her, she needed to try and escape in some way. She looked up, where the cables were connected to a main one. She took it and slowly began to use it to climb to the top. She examined it, but it was airtight, and too heavy to try to push or move.  
  
"Damn" she thought to her self and closed her eyes taking a deep breath, this was a nightmare.  
  
She let go of the cables and dropped back to the bottom of the tube. The breather was uncomfortable and was held strongly to the back of her head. She felt worst, her body felt too heavy and she felt confused in her mind, she knew that every time he drained her, she was less awake the next; and she knew too, that soon she would not think coherently; and that worried her. She needed to escape before it happened. But it looked almost impossible.  
  
What would Barbara do? Could she find her? She trusted in her mentor, she knew she would find her, but she didn't knew if she would find her in time.  
  
Lost in her thoughts, Huntress didn't realize she fell sleep again.  
  
* * *  
  
Dinah dragged herself along inside the long tunnels, all was in darkness, she saw a far light and went there. She saw through a grill the room where Huntress was, the parasite wasn't there. Dinah was scared when she saw her friend as she floated unmoving in a strange substance inside a tube, as she had see her in her dream.  
  
"Oh God!" she said in the mic: "I found her."  
  
::Is she ok?:: Oracle asked.  
  
"Dunno" she began to examine the grille "She's not moving, inside a kind of glass tube with water. I can see a breather over her mouth and some cables in her body. The glass tube is connected to a big computer." Dinah took the grille with her hands and pushed it, it was very old and broke easily. She jumped down. "I'm in."  
  
::Don't touch anything:: Canary said,  
  
"Ok.." Dinah walked to the cylindrical tube where Huntress was held, and looked for a way to open it. She walked around. "She has a green light over her chest that is blinking."  
  
::That would be a good sign, she is just unconscious. wait for Black Canary.::  
  
"Hel!!" Dinah hit the glass with her hand "Hel! Can you hear me?" Huntress didn't move. "She isn't answering me Oracle" she said.  
  
::How does the main computer look?:: Oracle asked.  
  
"Uhhh. it's like the Delphi system, lots of screens and buttons. Maybe I can break the glass." The blonde girl said preparing herself to kick the container.  
  
"No!" Carolyn exclaimed arriving. "Wait, it will be dangerous for her."  
  
Dinah looked her. "What is all this about?"  
  
"He is draining her. I imagine that he is storing her energy here in the computer, and he takes it by putting his hands there. I saw something like this many years ago. But this is so advanced. If we do something wrong, she could die."  
  
Dinah looked concern to her firend. "Help her mom" she said taking Canary's hand "Please, help her..." 


	16. Final fight

Suddenly, Black Canary and Dinah heard a sound and went to hide in the back of the room. Parasite walked in towards the cylinder tube. He tapped the glass lightly to call Huntress' attention to him. She barely opened her eyes and looked at him, drowsy.  
  
"She is alive." Dinah mumbled. "Let's go.."  
  
"Shhh." Canary stopped her "Wait, we need see first."  
  
"What is he going to do?" Dinah asked in low voice.  
  
"I don't know, but be ready. When I tell you, push him far from the machine with your mind."  
  
"Hey girl! How are you? It's time to feed me!!" Parasite shouted at her putting his hands on his waist "Are you ready? Now Huntress, you are my prey..."  
  
Huntress put her hands over the glass.  
  
"Huntress, what happened?" Parasite said "Don't feel okay? Something is wrong? My dear, enjoy the begining of your end." He walked to the metal fingerprints.  
  
Huntress followed him with her gaze, she hit the glass with her fist, she felt helpless; she knew what he was going to do. It was the third time that he had done that since she had been there. She lowered her head waiting, knowing that every time that he did that, it hurt her so much and she would feel worse.  
  
"Now!" Black canary said to Dinah.  
  
Parasite put his hands over the fingerprints; Huntress shook and groaned in the breather again. It didn't take more than four seconds before Parasite felt a force that moved him away from the computer and pinned him against the wall.  
  
"Who's there??" he screamed with surprise.  
  
Black Canary took Dinah's wrist. "Let me." she said to her "Try to help Huntress."  
  
"You???" Parasite shouted "How did you find me?"  
  
Dinah ran to the computer and called Oracle "Oracle, help me rescue Huntress, she is inside a tube that is sapping her energy with a computer. she has several cables around her chest and she is floating inside something that looks like water."  
  
::OK, first, we need stop the drainer.:: Barbara explained. ::Go to the computer screen and describe the system to me.::  
  
* * *  
  
Parasite and Canary were face to face. They circled each other.  
  
"What are you doing here?" The Parasite asked again  
  
"I could ask you the same thing." Canary replied.  
  
"You are going to die tonight." The Parasite said  
  
"I've heard that so many times before." Canary said.  
  
Suddenly, Parasite moved and threw some fast blows at her, a kick pushed her back.  
  
"I see." Canary said "You have Huntress' abilities."  
  
"A big advantage.." The Parasite said, cockily  
  
"Or a big disadvantage. I know how she fights." She smiled and kicked him twice.  
  
* * *  
  
"As far as I can see, the cables in her chest and head are connected to a main one in the top of the capsule and that one is connected to another one that goes to the main computer. I imagine that is the way he is draining her energy."  
  
::There must be an icon on the computer screen, something that turns off the power and releases the cables, search for it.:: Oracle explained.  
  
Dinah took the mouse and looked for it. "I found it" She pushed a button and the cables around Huntress' chest and head were released. The light over her chest turned off.  
  
"I did it..." Dinah said, "She is free of those cables. He had a breather over her mouth, looks like the mouthpiece of a snorkel, it's held with a kind of hose around her head, but isn't connected to anything,"  
  
::It will be a system that produces oxygen and takes it to her. Don't touch it or try to disable, ok?:: Oracle guided the girl, ::Before we do anything, we need to be sure that we don't hurt her::  
  
* * *  
  
The Parasite tried to touch Canary but she avoided him and kicked him in the face. She punched him in his ribs. He attacked her and she blocked his blows. She punched him in his jaw. Parasite moved faster and grabbed her hand. Black Canary groaned. Dinah turned her face and quickly raised her hand pushing him back.  
  
He tried to attack her again but Canary used her Canary Cry and he smashed against the wall. Dinah covered her ears and hit her back against the computer system, she fell to the floor. The crystal where Huntress was broke in thousands of pieces and she fell to the floor, the plasma water hit the floor.  
  
Black Canary closed her mouth and ran to Parasite to finish him.  
  
* * *  
  
The brunnette moved her head slowly. Dinah went to her, the floor was slippery. She kneeled next to her. "Hel... are you okay?" Dinah cleaned her face with her hand. "Blech! this is like drool. Oracle, the container is broken!"  
  
* * *  
  
Oracle was trying to guess how it could affect the brunette.  
  
"Check her pulse and don't take her off that breather!" Oracle said, worried. "Is she unconscious?"  
  
* * *  
  
"Almost..." Dinah answered clapping her checks. "Huntress can you hear me?" .  
  
::Her pupils.?:: Oracle asked.  
  
::.Are in cat form. She is cold.::  
  
"Where is Canary?" the red head asked. Typing on the board.  
  
::Fighting with parasite...::  
  
Huntress instinctively moved her hand slowly, she tried to remove the annoying breather that was locked around her head.  
  
"No!" Dinah grabbed her hand "Don't do that."  
  
Parasite surprised Black Canary with a strong kick, she turned back and hit him with her fist, she kicked him in his face. He slapped her and pushed with his feet. She flew and fell near Dinah. Parasite jumped high and fast, like Huntress, surprising her. He hit her in the face, she crashed against some boxes.  
  
He ran toward her and she met him with a blow using her two hands. She kick him several times, shattered him against a window, he crashed through it and fell 3 floors down.  
  
Canary ran toward Dinah and Huntress.  
  
"Are you okay?" Dinah asked.  
  
"Yes. thanks." Canary rubbed her neck "How is she? The container is broken, this is dangerous!" Black Canary took Huntress' pulse, the brunette looked at her, drowsy. She felt so stunned. Canary was concerned.  
  
"Why is it dangerous?"  
  
"Her system was stabilized inside that because of this strange fluid. I don't know how being out of it could affect her. I don't like this, she doesn't look good." she said to Dinah.  
  
"What can we do?" Dinah was worried.  
  
"Oracle, I need your help."  
  
::Use the scanner..::  
  
"We need.." Before Black Canary could finish the sentence she felt a blow over her head and fell forward over Huntress. Dinah saw the Parasite in front of her, he moved faster and grabbed her by the lapel, throwing her against the wall with all of his strength. She felt dazed.  
  
Before Canary could react, Parasite picked her up by the back and threw her against some boxes, he grabbed her by the neck, sapping her strength. 


	17. A last effort

Huntress moved cautiously, she couldn't focus, her vision was blurring and she felt too dazed, but she knew her friends were in trouble. She rolled on her side with a great effort trying to stand up.  
  
Black Canary tried to use her Cry but it was impossible, Parasite held her stronger and didn't let her breath.  
  
"I'll kill you!" Parasite shouted to Canary. She took his hands trying to release the grip he had on her. As she did she groaned in pain.  
  
Huntress kneeled putting her hands on the floor, her legs shivered, she fell once, but she tried again. She couldn't see well and followed his voice.  
  
"First I'll kill you and later I'll kill your two friends" Parasite shouted "I don't have time for these games."  
  
Huntress took impulse and hit Parasite in the head with all her strength using both hands. Parasite released Canary. Huntress fell to the floor exhausted, she felt like she was inside a dark whirlwind, her head was heavy.  
  
"Stupid girl!" Parasite shouted furious at Huntress. Then, the brunette felt hands closing on her throat "You want to die first? Ok, so die!" he raised her and crashed her against some old kegs that fell over her.  
  
Dinah shook her head, her mother moved restless on the ground. She saw Parasite walking toward Huntress, she lay under the old kegs unmoving. She ran and took the main cable off the container on the floor.  
  
Parasite throw some old kegs searching for the brunette, she was unmoving over the floor. Huntress groaned when she felt a kick in her ribs. He kneeled next to her.  
  
"Is was fun no?" he said leaning over her "But the game is over and your time is up. it will be a pleasure to finish with you.Good bye girl, give me your last breath of life." He smiled and held her wrists strongly, Huntress growled and her eyes rolled back.  
  
Dinah put the tip of the main cable on Parasite's back. He screamed, and released Huntress; the system was draining him. Dinah held the cable stronger until he fell to the floor unconscious.  
  
Canary stood up and walked to Dinah, the girl threw the cable away.  
  
"Are you okay?" Dinah asked.  
  
"Yes." Canary looked him "That was a great idea. Huntress!"  
  
Both women walked toward the brunette. Canary examined her.  
  
"He drained her again?" she asked to Dinah looking for her pulse.  
  
"I think so, I knocked him out, but he touched her."  
  
::How is she?:: Oracle asked through the mic trying to guess what was happening..  
  
"Bad. very bad." Canary said worried as she checked Huntress' eyes, her look was lost, her pupils didn't react "That son of bitch. God, she saved me, she did a big effort when he attacked him. She shouldn't have done it. It tired her badly"  
  
"But she did it." Dinah said.  
  
::Bring her back immediately:: Oracle asked.  
  
Canary swallowed "No, before we arrive to Clock Tower she will die. She is too weak, she couldn't resist."  
  
"No, Huntress. Hold on." Dinah said almost crying and brushing her hair "I'm sorry Hel, I'm sorry for all the awful things that I said to you." Dinah looked her mother "She can't die! We won't let her, we need do something! Let's go to the Clock Tower!".  
  
* * *  
  
Oracle kept silence listening just to her friends voices and feeling useless to help her protégée. Alfred looked at her without saying a word, he felt too, a great anguish inside him.  
  
"Use the scanner Carolyn." Oracle said. "Let me see if I can try something."  
  
::Its not usefully.:: she said.  
  
"Carolyn we need do something!"  
  
* * *  
  
Carolyn looked around. She put a Huntress' arm over her back and said to Dinah "I got an idea, help me raise her up." Dinah obeyed and did the same, they dragged Huntress near the computer. "Okay, I'll hold her." Canary said as she grabbed her by her armpits "Dinah, take her wrists and put her hands in the metal fingerprints."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Dinah, we don't have time! He drained her and stored her energy here. We saw him placing his hands here and he received her strength, maybe we can give her back some of it. Enough to normalize her system. She is almost dead!"  
  
Dinah took her wrist and followed her mother instructions. She felt an electric shock and released Huntress hands. "This thing shocks!"  
  
"I know, keep her in contact just for a few seconds, endure the pain."  
  
Dinah did it, Huntress moaned when she felt the electricity, Dinah gritted her teeth, as she felt the electricity also.  
  
"Hold on Dinah" shouted Canary. A few seconds later, the energy pushed them back hard. They fell to the floor. Huntress fell over Canary.  
  
"Woa. that hurt." Dinah sat shaking her hands.  
  
Carolyn looked at Huntress. The brunette rolled over and moved her head doing a strange sound with her throat.  
  
"It work. it work." Black Canary leaned over the girl and took her chin with her hand. "Huntress, can you hear me?" Huntress half-opened her eyes. "Can you hear me?" Canary asked again, the girl nodded lightly.  
  
Dinah looked surprised and happy.  
  
"Hey girl, look at me" Canary said taking her pulse. Huntress looked at her still dazed "We brought her back." Carolyn smiled to Dinah.  
  
::Thank God.:: Oracle answered smiling at Alfred. She took his hand.  
  
"Ah, and call the police. Dinah, tie him to something."  
  
Dinah looked for some rope. Huntress tried to talk but the breather didn't let her.  
  
"Do you want me to take this off?" Black Canary asked Huntress, the girl nodded again.  
  
"Would it be that we take her off of it?" Dinah asked.  
  
"Now yes. her breathing is normal, and her pulse is too." Canary explained as she disabled the breather. She took it off.  
  
"Ouh." Huntress sighed moving her jaw and tongue, the breather was annoying, part of the tube was inside her mouth, and after 3 days, it was a relief to take it out. "Thanks." she said, with a weak voice.  
  
"Huntress how do you feel?" Dinah asked.  
  
"Terrible." Huntress mumbled ".But I'm here."  
  
"Why don't we put her hands on the machine again?" Dinah asked "She would recover faster."  
  
"Touch. you touch it again. not me." Huntress said weakly "It hurts. Pass"  
  
"No, that machine is dangerous" Canary explained "Is not designed for us."  
  
".It was dangerous?" Dinah blinked. "She would die.?"  
  
"Yes, but it was a risk that we had to take. I didn't have time to start a survey about what to do or not."  
  
Dinah looked at her shocked.  
  
"Nice as usual with me." Huntress joked lightly.  
  
"I knew that you will understand" Black Canary smiled back. "You are brave girl, thanks for your help."  
  
"Was. because. we still have a fight. remember?"  
  
"Yes, I know. Come on, let's go home." Canary moved her head "Dinah, help me take her to the Hummer, she is still weak." 


	18. Confessions

Dinah ran to the hummer that was a few miles far away of the old refinery. They were outside the main building. Canary held Huntress and sat her on the floor to wait for Dinah arrival. The girl looked very tired. Black Canary kneeled next to her.  
  
"Are you okay?" The blond woman asked.  
  
"Yes. I think so." Huntress said in low voice and rested her back against the wall. ".Carolyn. I never expected to say this. but. thanks. Twice. I. I owe you twice now."  
  
"Oh Huntress, don't said that." Canary was impressed with the strength of the brunette, anyone wouldn't, after that experience say a word. "I owe you one."  
  
"Why .you did it?" Huntress whispered looking at her, she swallowed..  
  
"Why I did what?"  
  
"We are alone. tell me. Why have you helped me? You hate my mother."  
  
"Huntress not." Carolyn felt ashamed.  
  
".She was a cat-burglar." the brunnette interrupted, she didn't want have a fight, she only wanted to understand Carolyn ".and you think that I am not a good example for your daughter. And maybe you are right."  
  
"Huntress. you are weak, we can talk later."  
  
"Let me finish. I have committed many mistakes. yet. I do it. I was a pain in the ass for Barbara. I gave her. many troubles. I don't understand yet how she kept going on me... Barbara was fighting with the fact of not walking again. and no matter what, she gave me a space in her life. she opened to me the door of her house. And I. I was sometimes so unfair with her. I was so angry. "  
  
"I understand." Canary said.  
  
"I don't think you understand. I lost my mother." Huntress fixed her eyes in the floor; her voice was a whisper ".One night I had a family and the next morning I was alone. One day I was sleeping in my home. and the other one I came to live with a friend of my mother. In less than 24 hours I knew that my Mom was. a cat-burglar, and that my father was Bruce Wayne, a millionaire, and Batman. put all that in the mind of a sixteen years old girl that is discovering her meta-abilities and tell me what will happen."  
  
".You." Canary said looking at the sadness on Huntress' face. "Have you ever talked with him?"  
  
"No. and I don't want to do it. I don't want to meet him; he never took revenge for my mother's death. he just disappeared. " Huntress moved slowly trying to get more comfortable.  
  
"Don't talk anymore Huntress. rest."  
  
Huntress closed her eyes, she felt sleepy. Black Canary sighed.  
  
".Was so difficult to Barbara." Huntress said in low voice ".she was so independent, free. and, suddenly she was trapped between a wheelchair and a rebellious kid. she decided be my mentor in the worst time of her life. And I vented my anger on her many times. I never thought of her, just in me. She would tick me off, but she never gave up, she always kept going." Huntress raised her eyes to the sky "My God! How could she stand me! . I was so difficult."  
  
"Because she loves you." Canary interrupted. "You are her family. You were, and you are her reason to keep going. She trusts in you. and as far as I can see, you don't disappointed her. I did it because we need to help each other, we are on the same team. I did it because I know how much Barbara and Dinah loves you."  
  
"You never. will change the fact that I am Catwoman's daughter." Helena felt really exhausted, but she wanted to know ".What do you expect after. this? .That I drifted apart from Dinah?. Are you. asking me that?..."  
  
Canary locked eyes with her. She hesitated a moment. ".What. if I. ask it of you?"  
  
Huntress lowered her head. "Just tell me. why would you asked me that? Because of my mother? . Because you are afraid that I will be. a cat- burglar like her, and that I show it to Dinah?"  
  
"Answer me first. What if after all this I ask it to you? What if I ask you keep as far way from my daughter as a payment for saving your life.?"  
  
Huntress looked her confused.  
  
"Would you do it?" Canary pressed her "Would you do it, and not tell anything to Barbara and Dinah?"  
  
"Are you.?"  
  
"Just answer me. Would you do it if I ask it of you now?"  
  
Huntress nodded and lowered her eyes. She couldn't deny it to her, but she felt a great anger inside.  
  
"Helena look at me." Carolyn smiled. "Keep this in mind: Maybe you and I had problems because of our temperament, maybe we will have more, because our chemistry isn't good. But be sure of this kid, I respect you; I recognize that you are brave and a great girl. I couldn't ask you to keep away from my daughter. I couldn't. You had been there when I was lost. when I was "dead". She chose you as a friend and I trust in her choices, and, I can see that you are a good friend to her. Barbara has been an excellent mentor with you, and you are a great crime fighter. Your mother I'm sure would feel proud of you."  
  
Huntress was surprised, she didn't expect that answer. Carolyn raised her eyebrow at the funny expression on the girl's face. "I'm not a demon," she said "maybe you will understand that some day."  
  
Dinah arrived at that moment with the Hummer. Huntress gave Carolyn a smile that she returned . Dinah opened the back door and help Canary to load the brunette and took her to the Clocktower. 


	19. Dinah finds Huntress

Oracle waited expectantly in front of the elevator door with Alfred, she was playing nervous with her fingers. Carolyn and Dinah appeared almost dragging Helena, she was so pale and she looked really bad. Barbara had a concerned look on her face.  
  
"Hi." Helena mumbled weakly, she smiled lightly when she looked at her. ".I know, infirmary."  
  
Barbara nodded. Alfred brought closer the stretcher  
  
"Has she always had this strange sense of humor?" Carolyn asked Dinah as they were putting Helena on the stretcher.  
  
"And sometimes it's worse." Dinah answered.  
  
"Very funny." Helena said. Alfred took her to the infirmary.  
  
"How is she?" Barbara asked Canary while wheeling toward the lab.  
  
"She slept in the hummer; she is better now, but needs attention. We used the machine against him, and to save her. Before we left, we destroyed it."  
  
"Good idea. Help me with the scan. she don't looks good."  
  
Barbara injected Helena, she couldn't avoid feeling so worry about her protégée. The girl had black rings under her eyes, her colour was almost grey, and she looked so thin. Barbara finished scanning and checking her. Carolyn was receiving and analyzing the results in the computer. Dinah helped to clean her of the dry plasma that covered all her body.  
  
"I look terrible?" Helena asked with low voice, looking at Barbara while she took a pair of scissors and wheeled next to her.  
  
"Well. I promise not to take a picture of you and show it to Reese." Barbara smiled and cut a sleeve of the plastic white costume that Helena wore to prepare her arm to give her a serum. "How do you feel?"  
  
".Numb. drowsy. tired. I'm not in a good moment. Do you know it?"  
  
"Yes, I guess that. I must change the codes on time," Barbara said feeling guilty of the condition of Helena "this wouldn't happen to you. I never could forgive me for this."  
  
"Isn't your fault. How. could you know it?"  
  
"My job is cover you back. I always need analyze all. I failed. and it almost cost your life." she throw in the basket the sleeve and took the serum, she had tears in her eyes.  
  
"Barbara. Don't please." Helena mumbled.  
  
"If I fail, you will not have a next time Helena, as today. you are so lucky" Barbara explained preparing the serum, her expression was cold. She was so mad with herself. "I couldn't allow me the fact of fail."  
  
"Ouch. careful. with that needle." Helena jumped.  
  
"Sorry." Barbara focus her mind immediately in the serum again.  
  
"Don't be angry with your self. As you said us many times, we are humans." Dinah heard the conversation and interrupted touching Barbara's shoulder.  
  
"Well. just she, I am half." Helena joked trying to make feel better Barbara.  
  
"You don't have an idea about how I'm happy to see you here again." Barbara said to her taking a deep breath..  
  
".Are you? ."  
  
"Why you ask me that?"  
  
"I had been many times unfair with you." the brunette said. "I thought."  
  
"We must talk later Helena, not now. Let me focus in this."  
  
"We need to wash her hair" Dinah cleaned her hands with a napkin "this drool is disgusting."  
  
".The plasma. had proteins.Parasite said " Helena looked her ". is good to my hair."  
  
"Helena shut up!" Dinah didn't like the joke.  
  
"Yes, Helena, please, keep quiet." Barbara said smiling.  
  
Carolyn stood next to her. "I checked the exams, you stabilized her, and her system is normalizing."  
  
"Yea, I see that. Her bad sense of humor is on." Dinah moved her head.  
  
"I want to sleep for two weeks." Helena said in low voice and closed her eyes.  
  
"Uhh. I think that you need wait for a while." Barbara looked her protégée "You really need a bath. Carolyn, will you help me to prepare it?"  
  
"Of course." Carolyn walked out the lab.  
  
"Water now?" the brunette growled "Later. Am tired."  
  
"No, I need to give you this plasma. And later you can sleep all you want."  
  
"Damn! Somebody. tell her that cats hate water! "  
  
"You are a big cat that loves water; don't tell me now that you hate it." Barbara said finishing injecting the serum.  
  
"I see that you forgot the last time that you tried to do it." Helena smiled to herself drowsy.  
  
"No, I didn't forget it, but that was different." Barbara shook her head.  
  
"What happened?" Dinah asked curiosity.  
  
"Before you tell it. Would you help me take this off, it's too tight and uncomfortable." Helena whispered to Barbara referring to the white costume that she wore.  
  
"It was many years ago," Barbara said wheeling back to look for the scissors. "She had a great big fight on some rainy day, she arrived almost frozen and the next day she had a fever and was shivering. I needed to lower her temperature quickly so I prepared a cold bath with ice."  
  
"But sure she couldn't get into the bathtub alone." Dinah said.  
  
"Of course," Barbara found the scissors and wheeled back "she couldn't, the fever made her delirious. Alfred helped me to load her, and he put her in the cold water. As soon as she felt the cold water, she jumped over Alfred and scratched him trying to run away. Have you ever seen a big cat hung in a lamp?"  
  
Dinah laughed.  
  
"Wasn't funny." Helena said.  
  
Barbara gave the scissors to Dinah. "Cut the suit, I'll go to help Carolyn to prepare her bath." She went outside the lab.  
  
"And my clothes.?" Helena asked.  
  
"I'll go for it later, I promise, it must be in that old refinery. Why don't you try to rest? You talk too much."  
  
"I don't talk so much."  
  
"Yes, of course." Dinah began to cut it in the middle of her left arm. Helena looked her.  
  
".The Parasite?..."  
  
"Helena Please, shut up, you need rest!" Dinah glared at her.  
  
"I want to know. I missed everything!"  
  
"The police kept him in a special cell in Arkham. They are going to transport it to Metropolis in a few weeks. We destroyed the machine and the computer he was keeping you prisoner, it was creepy. Your arm is free now."  
  
"Cool.its tight." Helena mover her arm slowly up and down. "I'm feel like a 'cat sausage. Please. cut the custom in my neck please."  
  
"Ok, don't move and don't talk. I could cut you" Dinah began to work on it.  
  
".Which day is it?"  
  
"My God! You talk so much! Don't move I'll cut you! It's Saturday.."  
  
"Reese returns from his trip this Sunday. He knows anything?"  
  
Dinah stopped to cut the suit "No, you can explain it all to him when he gets back. Now would you please shut up?"  
  
".Am glad. to see you. that's all."  
  
Dinah looked her with out know what to said.  
  
"Hel. I told to you many awful things. and I hit you. Would you forgive me?"  
  
"Was our fault." Helena said sad looking her "We hid something important from you. I'm sorry"  
  
"But."  
  
"Dinah. I am not the best example of a good friend. sorry, is difficult for me. I don't trust in many people. but. I trust in you."  
  
"But I."  
  
"You maybe committed a mistake," Helena interrupted "as I committed mistakes. and believe me kid, I have committed a lot. But that doesn't mean that I don't appreciate you."  
  
"Am I annoying to you? Sometimes looks like."  
  
"Dinah. oh" Helena felt inside a big trouble, but now she couldn't avoid answering the kid as usually she did it "You know why I'm. I'm like this. Don't ask me to change. I Am in this way. I never could be as you. I never could be sweet or polite. Am difficult sometimes, I know, I know it's not good, but it isn't you. I have problems to. control my character. Dinah. you are taking advantage of my situation!" she said feeling trap, she hated confess her weakness  
  
"Do you want to patrol alone? If you wish I can."  
  
"No!" Helena sighed and closed her eyes "Just. just was difficult to have someone here... Barbara and I always had been working alone, I always worked alone, and suddenly had a partner. well it took me time to accept it. Understand me." the brunette looked her "I don't hate you, I never could... You are a great partner, you do a great job keeping my back. Dinah forget that, ok? Please. give me that pleasure. Don't discuss more. I'm not in mood to do that, am tired, and besides."  
  
"Besides?"  
  
"You get the scissors in your hands."  
  
Dinah laughed looking the scissors "Ok."  
  
".Just do me a favor."  
  
"Anything."  
  
"Took me off this damn costume." 


	20. Opening my hart

Carolyn was in the bathroom preparing the water. She was quiet; her mind seemed be in another place.  
  
"Thanks again" Barbara said wheeling inside.  
  
"Don't say it again, it's not necessary."  
  
"Are you ok?" Barbara asked.  
  
"I think that it is time to leave. Parasite is in jail, Huntress is safe. I talked with Dinah. I couldn't get her forgiveness but I talked with her."  
  
"You give up?"  
  
"I have another choice?"  
  
Barbara looked her feeling surprise and angry. "You can't say that. Give Dinah some time"  
  
"I couldn't stay here so long." Carolyn lowered her face "I couldn't force her to do forgive me."  
  
"Dinah has a great heart, I think before you leave, you must talk with her again. You can't expect that she forget twelve years of her life in just a minute; that is unfair for her! Don't do it!"  
  
"I don't know what to do! I don't want to press her; I can't wait until she give me permission to enter in her life!"  
  
"You are wrong" Barbara said closing the door of the bathroom "Excuse me, but you are wrong. You need to work on earning her trust, it isn't easy, but if you love your daughter you must do it."  
  
"You can't." Carolyn tried to protest.  
  
"I'm talking you as a friend " Barbara said with hard voice "She needs time, give it to her, its the least you can do for her. Dinah never could forgive you if you disappear for a third time. And I'm not going to interfere, I'm going to support her and her decisions, I'm warning you."  
  
"I can beat criminals. I can fight with killers. I can manage a hard situation, I can save lives, and I can help people and change their lives. but. I can't control my own life. I can't rescue my daughter!" Carolyn said angry "How do you think I feel?"  
  
"I can't change your decisions. But you can't run away again! You messed it up and you need to solve this! Stop avoiding your responsibilities! This is your last chance. If you disappeared again, I doubt that Dinah would forgive you. You can recover her yet. If you want."  
  
Carolyn turned the water off. "It's ready; I'll go for Helena. I'll be right back" she said and walked out the bathroom.  
  
Barbara moved her head, she couldn't do anything to help her or Dinah. She felt sadness for the blond girl; and at the same time, she felt sorrow for Carolyn.  
  
* * *  
  
An hour later Dinah was sitting outside the Clocktower. She had her arms crossed in her legs. She heard the familiar sound of Barbara's wheelchair.  
  
"Now everything is ok." Dinah said. "How is Helena?"  
  
"She fell slept immediately, as soon as she rested her head in the pillow. I injected her and she didn't move, she was snoring."  
  
"She snore???" Dinah opened her eyes "Good, I need record that! Have a tape?"  
  
Barbara laughed. "Oh... you couldn't do that...."  
  
"Yes, I could" the blond laughed too, and she took a deep breath. She kept silence before said, "Barbara. I talked with Helena.. I discovered a new part of her, someone that I never met."  
  
"Yeah?" Barbara smiled. "Did you knew her 'dark side'?"  
  
"Yea, very dark because she had it very hidden."  
  
"I know that. Tell it to me! See? She really loves you."  
  
"Wow Barbara, you did a titanic work with her Helena when she had seventeen. My God, she really was... well, she is so difficult."  
  
"Not much. Just a little. amazing." The red head laughed.  
  
"Yea. but I would killed her; I don't have your patience." Dinah joked.  
  
"Helena wasn't a patience matter. she was a love matter."  
  
"I know..."  
  
Barbara touched her hand. "I just want. to tell you that its going to be your decision after all this. count on me and Helena."  
  
"I know. thanks."  
  
Barbara touched her hand. "I just want. to tell you that its going to be your decision after all this. count on me and Helena."  
  
"I know. thanks."  
  
"Excuse me." Carolyn entered the balcony "May I talk with you?"  
  
Barbara felt so glad when she saw her there, she smiled. "Of course, I need check Helena." Barbara wheeled back the Clock Tower.  
  
Carolyn sat in front of Dinah. They looked each other.  
  
"Are you going to leave?" Dinah asked "Are you going to ask me go with you?"  
  
Carolyn lowered her head "Yes, I'm going to leave, and. I don't want to do it with out say to you. that I would like meet you some day. That I would like that you give me an opportunity sometime. I will like show you how much I love you."  
  
"Mom." Dinah said "Nothing can change the fact that you are my mother. but you hurt me, hurt me so much."  
  
"I know. but, I will like that we would be friends some day."  
  
Dinah crossed her arms "Mom. I can't hate all my life. crying for the things that you never gave me. We lost so much time, I lost the opportunity to grow with you, grow with my mother. I never could recover that, either you.."  
  
"I know. it was a big mistake."  
  
"I am 17 now. Am not a child."  
  
"I know that, and I'm very proud of you." Carolyn smiled "Barbara is a great mentor."  
  
"I had been thinking about this. I was so confused. and."  
  
"I'm just asking you give me an opportunity, not now, maybe tomorrow. But please give it to me."  
  
"We don't know if tomorrow we will be here. Our work is unpredictable, dangerous. Nothing could give back the time. You are asking me something that isn't easy."  
  
Carolyn sighed "Yes, I know..but I needed try."  
  
Dinah looked her "We can still do wonderful things together. I would have the opportunity to have my mother again. an opportunity that I know many people would like... like Helena. And I will like take it."  
  
"Are you telling me.?"  
  
"Yea. I will like try." Dinah smiled lightly "Just give me time mom, we can try, just give me time."  
  
"Oh Dinah, of course, I love you," Carolyn was crying "am sorry, am so sorry. Thanks for this"  
  
Dinah hugged her "I love you to mom."  
  
* * *  
  
Barbara saw the embrace inside the Clock Tower and smiled.  
  
"Miss Barbara" Alfred said "Am I wrong or are you keeping watch?"  
  
Barbara blushed. "Me? No. Of course no, just was causality."  
  
Alfred raised his elbow.  
  
"Avoid that look" Barbara pointed "I know that look, don't say a word."  
  
"Look? Which look?"  
  
"Alfred!"  
  
"My lips are sealed Miss Barbara. And dinner is ready." He smiled.  
  
"A normal one?"  
  
"Yes, very normal. meat and potatoes."  
  
"Don't say a word!" Barbara wheeled her chair toward the elevator.  
  
"I'm a tomb miss Barbara:" 


	21. More than a Birds of Prey Epilogue

The next day Dinah was keeping company to Helena, they were at Barbara's bedroom watching TV, while Barbara and Carolyn were at the kitchen preparing the meal and talking. Dinah felt happy, the conversation last night with her mother opened both a new opportunity to know each other. She had her mother again.  
  
Helena felt better, she was still so weak and tired but she was at home. She had sleep almost 14 hours, something unusual in her, and she was sure she would sleep 15 hours more with out problem. She never had enjoyed the soft bed so much.  
  
Helena was distracted laughing lightly watching "The Nanny", Dinah took the control and changed the channel.  
  
"Dinah don't change the channel!" Helena protested.  
  
"That was an old TV show!" the blond girl said moving her arm to avoid that Helena took the remote control that she had in her hand.  
  
"Give me that!"  
  
"Helena, really you like to watch it?"  
  
"Dinah I don't want to watch the History Channel or A&E on Sunday morning! I want to see something funny, not a biography about people or a castle!"  
  
"It is my turn to choose the channel!" Dinah jumped off the bed when Helena tried to grab her.  
  
"I'm the convalescent here!" Helena shouted trying to stand up, but it was yet a little difficult for her.  
  
"Don't do that! "Dinah warned pointing at her with her index finger "Barbara would be annoy if she saw you standing."  
  
"Barbara isn't here boring and I'm just watching TV:" Helena kneeled over the mattress.  
  
"No, don't, don't stand up, I'll call her, do it and I call her!"  
  
With out warning, Helena jumped and fell over Dinah surprising her, they fell to the floor and they start to laugh loudly.  
  
"Helena let me go!" Dinah said holding the remote control in her hands, while Helena tried to take it. "You are not okay yet, Barbara would kill us If she sees you out of the bed!"  
  
"Don't use your powers, Barbara said no powers here!"  
  
"I don't not need powers to win against you!" Dinah laughed and both rolled over the floor still laughing. Until they felt tired and rested on the floor.  
  
"Oh my! My stomach hurts" Helena chuckled.  
  
"It hurts me too, but I win!" Dinah chuckled.  
  
"What's going on here?" they heard Barbara's voice. "Helena! Dinah!"  
  
"Problem." Helena giggled.  
  
"Yeah, and a big one" Dinah smiled rolling over and looking up.  
  
"Dinah it's suppose that you are taking care of her!." Barbara wheeled inside the room. "She needs rest!"  
  
"Sorry Barbara" Dinah snorted "I'll put her back into bed again."  
  
"I hope so, do it soon, we are going to have breakfast in 15 minutes, I'll see you two there. " Barbara said angry and closed the door.  
  
"Damn! I told you that she would be annoy"  
  
"Its all your fault, don't look at me." Helena smiled and rolled, she put her elbows over the floor "Wow." she said "I'm. dizzy. I can't get back up to the bed. you need to help me."  
  
"Okay, hurry up before she comes back." Dinah stood up and took Helena's arm to help her to stand up. "My God! What do you eat?" Dinah asked.  
  
Helena moved her hand fast and took the remote control. "Is mine!" She shouted.  
  
"Give it to me!" Dinah tried to take it again and they fell to the floor again laughing.  
  
Outside the room Barbara couldn't avoid laughing to her self as well.  
  
* * *  
  
"What happened?" Carolyn asked when she saw Barbara entering the kitchen with a big smile; she was sitting in the kitchen drinking a cup of coffee at the table.  
  
"Those two are two kids. I guess Helena is in a good mood and she is feeling better, she is playing with Dinah. and its not common that she plays with her." Barbara took a glass of orange juice "how do you feel after rescuing. the daughter of one of your worst enemies twice?"  
  
"You needed to ask that?" Carolyn raised her brown.  
  
"I really appreciate all the things that you did for her." Barbara said.  
  
"No, you opened my eyes, and she did too. she isn't guilty of my and her mother problems. Maybe we don't like each other but. I need to admit that she is brave and a great girl, Dinah loves her so much and you too. All of you have done so much for Dinah."  
  
"I hope you two some day would know each other as well ." Barbara took a breath "Did you tell her about her father?"  
  
"Yes. If I want earn her trust, I need to begin to tell her the truth of my life."  
  
"How did she take it?"  
  
"Well, she it was a surprise for her." Carolyn put the dishes on the table. "But. it's okay, she took it well. We need to talk more about him, It's hard to try answer all her questions in just one night."  
  
"And." Barbara was afraid to ask "What are you going to do? Are you going to stay? Are you going to go with Dinah?"  
  
Carolyn smiled reading the concern on Barbara's face. "I'm happy, I could recover my daughter, but she needs to live her own life, and I have my own life. You are doing a great job training her and I want you to finish your work. We will be in contact and she could go to see me and vice versa. I have been talking with Dinah, I had been discovering her, she is marvelous, and we have many things to tell each other, but the most important is that now we are friends, a big step no? I want to ask you. would you take care of her, please?"  
  
"Yes. Of course!" Barbara couldn't hide her happiness.  
  
"She was happy when I told her that she could stay with you two." Carolyn explained "The next month when the classes in High school finish she can come to visit me for a few weeks."  
  
"That sounds good!".  
  
"I know she is in good hands with you." Carolyn touched her hand. "Thanks for taking care of her all this time."  
  
"It's a pleasure. and its also a pleasure for me to see you two together once more."  
  
* * *  
  
That night, Helena was outside the Clock Tower, she sat on the border of the balcony, looking at the city lights, wondering and thinking to her self. The air moved her hair lightly. She loved the fresh air over her face. It was a way to breathe freedom, the freedom that she loved?  
  
"How do you feel?" Barbara took her out of her thoughts wheeling next to her. "You look better."  
  
"Yeah? I don't think so. But I'm okay."  
  
"Still tired?"  
  
"Just a little." Huntress moved slowly, she was aching all over. "Where are Dinah and Carolyn?"  
  
"They went out to dinner, Carolyn leaves tomorrow."  
  
"I'll see." Helena looked Barbara "She recovered her mother. Its good for her."  
  
"Yes they have another opportunity." Barbara smiled.  
  
"She isn't alone anymore."  
  
"She wasn't. she had us."  
  
"Yes..." Helena lowered her face "But it isn't the same."  
  
Barbara kept silence. Huntress noticed what she had said to her, she hurt her mentor, she stood up immediately.  
  
"Sorry Barbara, I didn't want to ." 3212163  
  
"It's okay, it's okay." Barbara touched her arm "I understand what you meant to say, Helena, I lost my mom too when I was a child. Remember? No one can replace a mother."  
  
"You are one to me." Helena kneeled in front of her.  
  
"Don't said that Hel."  
  
"I wanted to talk with you since last night. But we didn't have the opportunity. You gave me all your love and we weren't anything."  
  
"Wait a minute." Barbara said. "Helena don't said that."  
  
"You only were a friend of my mother, but a great friend. Just a great one who would take the responsibility and care of the teenager of a friend: a rebel, difficult and one very angry teen. Now I have been analyzing that and. its incredible all the great things that you have done for me. Anyone else would have sent me to an orphanage in my first tantrum or in my first mess."  
  
Barbara didn't know what to say. Helena never had opened up to her before expressing her gratitude and feelings in this way.  
  
"I still would be lost with out you." Helena said. "That's true."  
  
"And possible me too." Barbara said.  
  
"You? I don't think so. You knew very well your self."  
  
"But. I was alone. and I didn't have illusions at that moment, my world was broken. you gave me an illusion, you kept me distracted. And in every which way!! You were terrible!." She laughed "I'm agree with that."  
  
Helena laughed too. "I'm sorry Barbara, really, I was a pain in the ass for you."  
  
"Yes, often, but. We helped each other in many ways, we are lucky." Barbara said.  
  
"Yes we are." Helena stood up hesitant.  
  
"Be careful.." Barbara said helping her.  
  
"I'm okay." she sat on the balcony again. Both looked distract to the night. Helena turned her face to wards Barbara.  
  
"Want to say something?" The red head asked.  
  
".Barbara. " Helena opened her mouth but she couldn't speak.  
  
"Is something wrong?"  
  
".Forget it." She rested her back against the wall.  
  
"Tell me, don't kept it. Please."  
  
"I saw her." Helena looked her in the eyes afraid to see her reaction.  
  
"You saw who?"  
  
".My mother.".  
  
".Your mother.?" Barbara blinked "are you talking about a. dream? .Or when you were delirious?"  
  
"No, no. I saw her. A dream couldn't keep me alive and gave me strength. I couldn't call it a dream. I thought it was one but. the last time, when I was trapped there, I felt really alone and. I felt her touch, I hear her, it was her voice." she laughed "This Will sound stupid but when I was in the middle of that drool I could smell her hair, feel her arms around me. She was with me in the worst moment."  
  
"Is not a stupid thing, the love of a mother would break walls, distances, and worlds. And be sure that she always has been with you, always."  
  
"I felt her, I could feel her love for me. It. fills me."  
  
"I'm glad to hear that, I'm glad for you." Barbara smiled seeing the emotion on Helena's face with the words and expression.  
  
The brunette hesitated, and looked nervous at the floor. She still had a hard time letting her feelings out.  
  
"Barbara?" she said.  
  
"Tell me."  
  
"May. may I hug you?" she looked at her almost afraid. She always was afraid to ask for affection, it broke her shell, and everybody could see her inside. .  
  
"Never ask that." Barbara opened her arms, Helena stood up and hugged her strongly. She felt protected in Barbara's hug and rested her head in her shoulder.  
  
Barbara caressed her hair; she smiled, it was like be hugging a big child, a lovely child hungry for warmth, her child. She hugged her with all her love, she was her protégée, her friend.  
  
.her daughter.  
  
* * * * * * * * *  
  
30,660 words, 89 pages, 21 one chapters, and a month later. IS FINISHED! :weep: And am not happy, am sad. I really enjoyed it. I started it on august 8.  
  
Thanks to all my friends that helped me editing this. I survive to all them. Am still hiding if my editing team, especially. poor Dixie and NightStalker. Why? Because I always had new ideas, and every 5 minutes I'm changing the chapters.  
  
Thanks again to Yank because she was pushing me. and almost killed me when I told her that I had the middle ready except the begining and I didn't know what to write to the end (as usually, yea, yea, Reese's Girl: I know, I know).  
  
And to all the rest of the Evil Gang!!! Shadow Walker, HarleyFan, Darkphoenix, Shan. The emergency editors: Shadowpup and Kea, and to Dritz for his time and answered my questions.  
  
And to all of you to read it and post here every night. :D. Make me feel happy that you enjoyed as I remembering our lovely Birds of Prey.  
  
helenakyle1: I hope you like the end.  
  
KEEP GOING!! WE WILL BRING BACK THE SHOW!!  
  
BOP, BOP, HURRAY!!! 


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